Gordon Seeks to Recapture Busch Series Legacy at Lowe's Motor Speedway

Jeff Gordon will attempt to rekindle his past NASCAR Busch series dominance at Lowe's Motor Speedway at Charlotte when he competes in the CARQUEST Auto Parts 300 on Saturday, May 29.

Gordon enjoyed remarkable success during his brief Busch series career, capturing 11 poles and earning three victories in his sophomore season. Two of those poles, as well as two of those wins, came in the 1992 May and October events at Lowe's Motor Speedway. In the May event, Gordon won the most money ever for a NASCAR Busch series driver - $113,844 - by earning a special bonus not always offered.

Gordon's frequent trips to victory lane in both the NASCAR Busch Series and the NASCAR Winston Cup series have given his team a positive outlook on resuming his Busch series career at Lowe's Motor Speedway. "We're very much looking forward to returning to Charlotte in the Busch series," said Gordon. "Charlotte has been a very successful track for us over the past several years. It is also where I got my first Winston Cup win. Hopefully we'll be able to continue that success with Pepsi and our newly formed Gordon-Evernham Motorsports team in the CARQUEST Auto Parts 300."

Co-owned by Gordon's wife Brooke and Ray Evernham, the crew chief for Gordon's No. 24 DuPont Refinishes Chevrolet in the NASCAR Winston Cup series, the No. 24 Pepsi Chevrolet will be driven by Gordon in five events during the 1999 NASCAR Busch series season, including both events at Lowe's Motor Speedway. GEM also plans to compete in seven additional events during the year, with Ricky Hendrick substituting as the driver.

Gordon is optimistic about his transition back to the NASCAR Busch series cars. "There have been various changes in the Busch series since my last appearance in 1992, especially in terms of the level of competition," he said.

"However, I think it's been a relatively smooth adjustment for our team. The guys in the shop have worked extremely hard to make sure that the #24 Pepsi Chevrolet has been competitive in our first two outings on the track. We qualified second and finished fourth in Las Vegas and had a car capable of a top-five finish in Texas, so I think the potential is there to duplicate our past successes."

According to many, the entry of NASCAR Winston Cup stars such as Jeff Gordon only enhances the excitement of the NASCAR Busch series events.

"We get to watch them and get some experience from them," said NASCAR Busch series champion Dale Earnhardt Jr. "There's no feeling like running with guys like Mark Martin and Jeff Gordon. That's a confidence builder."

Jason Keller, driver of the No. 57 IGA Chevrolet, said, "A lot more people will come out to watch Jeff Gordon race on Saturday now. I think that's good for the rest of us. That raises our level of competition."

It is that level of competition that has made for some of the best racing at Lowe's Motor Speedway. "The Saturday races here are outstanding and a great entertainment value," said Doug Stafford, executive vice president for the speedway. "All those drivers get out there and mix it up. It is a real treat for the fans, providing a good opportunity to watch some of their NASCAR Winston Cup favorites and to see which Busch series drivers are the talent of tomorrow."

Good seats are still available for the May 29 CARQUEST Auto Parts 300. Call the speedway's ticket hotline at (704) 455-3200 to order. Tickets are also available at the gate the day of the event.