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The Dupont Chevrolet looked different when it went to All-Star Victory Lane back in 1995, but the same talent is still behind the wheel. (Photo: Getty Images) ยป More Photos
Jeff Gordon already has four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championships to his name, and Saturday night he will be looking to win NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race XXIV, which would give him a record four All-Star race victories. The race will be televised live on SPEED, starting at 7 p.m.
Currently, Gordon and the late Dale Earnhardt are tied as the only three-time All-Star race winners, and Gordon very much would like to break that tie.
“The All-Star is always a special event,” Gordon said. “I think it's one that the drivers take a lot of pride in how and what type of success they have in that event. I think that also the teams, they put a lot of effort and, you know, there's no points on the line so it's just all about the win. To know that we've won it three times in the past really means a lot. And those have been all very special occasions and events for me to be a part of in the past. To do anything that Dale Earnhardt's done and be in that same category, certainly, even more special.”
And while there will be a winner’s purse of more than $1 million on the line Saturday night, the money isn’t the motivator in this race, according to Gordon. Instead, it’s the chance to earn bragging rights, which is what this race is all about.
“It could pay $1, and everybody would still go all out,” Gordon said. “I mean, we're just that fierce of competitors when we get out there on the racetrack. The fact that there's money on the line might bring a little more excitement to it, because I think it sort of dangles that carrot out in front of you and makes you go after it that much harder. When you know there's no points on the line, it's all about the win. And, of course, having some bonus money to go along with that from Sprint certainly makes things very appealing.”
Gordon and his Hendrick Motorsports squad have always had a few tricks up their collective sleeves for the All-Star race and this year likely won’t be an exception, Gordon said, even with the constraints that NASCAR places on teams with the new-generation race car.
“The one area that I will say all of us are probably going to experiment in, because we are so limited these days, is under the hood in the engine department,” Gordon said. “We can push the limit there. We can have an engine that doesn't have to go as many miles so, we can make some more power with less reliability. Or it could be something that we're even trying to test for the future for the 600 or races down the road.”
Tom Jensen is the Senior NASCAR Editor for SPEEDtv.com, the former Executive Editor of NASCAR Scene and a contributing Editor for TruckSeries.com. He is the author of “Cheating: The Bad Things Good NASCAR Nextel Cup Racers Do In Pursuit of SPEED,” and has appeared on numerous television and radio shows to discuss NASCAR racing. Jensen is the President of the National Motorsports Press Association. The Answer Man is back at SPEEDtv.com. Tom Jensen answers your questions during every race week and looks forward to hearing from you - please e-mail it to
SPEED will televise the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race XXIV and the NASCAR Sprint Showdown live on May 17, as well as provide more than 90 hours of support programming prior to the event. Stay tuned to SPEEDtv.com for frequent updates on the history of the event and all the details about this year’s action.
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