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By Dave Rodman, Turner Sports Interactive
October 9, 2003
12:27 PM EDT (1627 GMT)
CONCORD, N.C. -- In what is sure to be one of the most emotional days in more than two-and-a-half years of NASCAR Winston Cup racing, former champions Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon will be honored Saturday evening at Lowe's Motor Speedway.
The latest chapter in the R.J. Reynolds Victory Lap tribute is most notable for the first appearance by a black No. 3 car on a track since Earnhardt was killed on the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500.
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In a ceremony before the UAW-GM Quality 500, the latest chapter in the program will honor Gordon, a four-time champion who won his most recent title in 2001; and Earnhardt, whose last crown came in 1994.
In many ways, Earnhardt was a major influence on Gordon, who came into the sport as Earnhardt won his final two championships.
Gordon, whose entire career has been enacted in the No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet, has never failed to credit Earnhardt with being an unofficial mentor and influence on his gritty driving style and dogged determination.
Between the two of them, Earnhardt and Gordon are responsible for a great number of the current standards in NASCAR Winston Cup racing:
1 -- The number of victories in the Daytona 500 by Earnhardt, which he finally scored in 1998
2 -- The number of Daytona 500s won by Gordon, in 1997 and 1999.
2 -- The number of NMPA Driver of the Year Awards won by Gordon, in 1995 and 1998.
2 -- The number of American Driver of the Year awards won by Earnhardt, in 1987 and 1994.
4 -- The number of Winston Cup championships won by Gordon, in 1995, 1997, 1998 and 2001.
4 -- The NASCAR record for consecutive victories in the modern era, since 1972, held jointly by Earnhardt, Gordon, Cale Yarborough, Darrell Waltrip, Harry Gant, Bill Elliott and Mark Martin.
4 -- The number of American Driver of the Year awards won by Gordon, in 1995, 1997, 1998 and 2001.
5 -- The number of victories in Gordon's four-year career in the NASCAR Busch Series.
5 -- The number of NMPA Driver of the Year Awards won by Earnhardt, in 1980, 1986, 1987, 1990 and 1994.
5 -- Gordon's all time NASCAR record for consecutive superspeedway victories, set in 1998.
5 -- The number of consecutive victories by Earnhardt in the Hershey's 300 Busch Series race at Daytona International Speedway, from 1990-1994.
5 -- The record number of consecutive years in the modern era in which Gordon led the circuit in victories, from 1995-1999.
7 -- The number of Winston Cup championships won by Earnhardt, in 1980, 1986, 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993 and 1994.
7 -- The number of Bud Poles Gordon has won at Lowe's Motor Speedway, making him the leading active driver in that category.
7 -- Gordon's Winston Cup leading total of career road course victories.
9 -- The number of consecutive seasons in which Gordon has finished in the top 10 in the Winston Cup standings.
11 -- The NASCAR Busch Series record number of pole positions Gordon won in 1992.
12 -- Gordon's modern era record for superspeedway victories in a season.
14 -- The number of races that Gordon has won from the pole position, 10th best on the all time list.
17 -- The number of different racetracks on which Earnhardt won Winston Cup races, including 15 of the 23 currently on the schedule.
20 -- The number of different racetracks on which Gordon has won Winston Cup races, including 19 of the 23 currently on the schedule.
21 -- Gordon's league leading top-10 starts total in 2003, in 30 races, tied with Ryan Newman.
22 -- The number of career pole positions by Earnhardt, tied for 28th on the all time list.
32 -- Gordon's age as of his birthday, Aug. 4.
34 -- The number of victories, in a variety of events, by Earnhardt at Daytona International Speedway.
43 -- Gordon's superspeedway victory total, sixth best of all time.
45 -- The number of Bud Pole Awards in Gordon's Winston Cup career, ninth on the all time list.
48 -- Earnhardt's superspeedway victory total, third best of all time and the best in the modern era.
49 -- Earnhardt's age at the time of his death, Feb. 18, 2001.
62 -- The number of career victories by Gordon, seventh on the all time list.
76 -- Earnhardt's career Winston Cup victories total, sixth best on the all time list and second in the modern era to Darrell Waltrip's 84 wins.
359 -- Gordon's current string of consecutive starts, the record for a driver making every race in his career.
676 -- Earnhardt's career starts total, ninth on the all time list.
1,267 -- Gordon's league leading laps led total in 2003 -- 243 more than Newman, his nearest competitor.
10,879,757 -- Gordon's single season money won record, set in 2001.
51,903,055 -- Gordon's career winnings record, as of the end of the 2002 season.
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