By now, NASCAR fans have heard that the 2015 season will be the last for Jeff Gordon. He's put together one of the most illustrious careers in the history of the sport over the past 24 years. With 92 wins and four Cup titles, he'll drive into the NASCAR sunset with a legendary resume.
We put together the Top 20 moments in Gordon's career, but this list could have been longer. This should get you reminiscing, if Gordon's announcement hasn't already done so.
Jeff Gordon's Top 20 Defining Moments
1. Peak Performance
Gordon was at the peak of his career in 1998, when he took home his third Cup title. He finished the season with 13 wins on six different tracks, including a stretch that saw him take six of seven checkered flags. In total, Gordon finished the season with 28 top-10 finishes.
2. T-Rex
Gordon won his second Cup championship in 1997, on board the Jurassic Park-themed car that many labeled as "T-Rex." He won 10 races and had 23 top-10 finishes. Gordon edged out Dale Jarrett for the Cup title.
3. Youth Movement
Gordon was just breaking onto the NASCAR scene in 1995, when he began winning at a fast pace. He beat Dale Earnhardt by 34 points to become the youngest driver in the modern era (post-1971) to win the title at 25.
4. New Century, No Problem
Gordon was at the peak of his game at the turn of the century, and he continued his dominance into 2001. In a season marked by Earnhardt’s death, Gordon won his fourth title in seven years. Gordon beat out Tony Stewart to win the championship.
5. Million-Dollar Man
Gordon became just the second driver to win the Winston Million contest, after winning at three of four designated tracks during the 1997 Cup season. Gordon won the Daytona 500, then at Charlotte, lost at Talladega, leading to a decisive win at Darlington over Dale Jarrett and Jeff Burton.
6. All-Star Comeback
The rain poured down as soon as the 2001 All-Star race started and it didn’t take long for Jeff Gordon’s 24 car to crash. The cars rounded Turn 1 and Gordon hit the grass and wrecked. However, NASCAR decided to allow drivers to use back-up cars to finish the race and Gordon bounced back to beat Dale Jarrett to win the annual race.
7. Darting Past Dale
In 2007, Gordon was one win away from moving into the No. 6 spot on the all-time wins list. He didn’t waste much time, beating out Tony Stewart for win No. 76 in Phoenix, and then breaking the record a week later. What makes it even larger of a moment is the fact that Gordon broke the record at Talladega, where Earnhardt recorded his last win.
8. Welcoming The Brickyard
Gordon has been at the top of his game as long as the Brickyard has been alive. He helped christen it in by winning the inaugural race in 1994 in his home state of Indiana.
9. Win No. 85
Gordon moved up to third on the all-time wins list in 2011 with his fifth win at Atlanta. He passed Bobby Allison and Darrell Waltrip and at 92 wins now, trails only David Pearson and Richard Petty.
10. Daytona Dreaming
At the ripe age of 25, Gordon became the youngest driver to ever win NASCAR’s biggest race. He avoided a wreck on lap 196 and won the race on the caution.
11. First Checkered Flag
Gordon made it first win a memorable one, taking the Coca-Cola 600 in 1994. He edged out Rusty Wallace for the win. Just as an added bonus, he took the pole, as well.
12. Start of Something Great
This race is equally as famous for being Richard Petty’s final one. However, Gordon’s debut becomes more important given what he’s done over the past two decades. Gordon crashed out of the race, but his first race was symbolic of something to come.
13. Snapping The Streak
It’s unusual to think that Gordon could ever go 47 races without a win, but that’s what happened up until 2009. A drought like that would frustrate almost any driver, but he broke the drought at Texas in April of 2009. Still, he was leading in point at the time.
14. Finding Jimmie
Gordon and Johnson have been teammates for more than a decade, but it was in 2000 that the two first met. Johnson was looking for a new team to work with, and Gordon’s Hendrick Motorsports was starting up a fourth team. Johnson joined on and has eclipsed Gordon in title wins and both rank among the greatest.
15. On the Road
It wasn’t necessarily the fact that he won at Sonoma that was surprising; rather that he had won six consecutive road course races. From 1997 to 2000, Gordon went on a streak that included three wins at both Watkins Glen and Sonoma.
16. Brickyard Brilliance
Yes, the pinnacle of Gordon’s career happened during the turn of the century, but he is still coming up with big wins today. He took home his record fifth Brickyard 400 in 2014 after passing Kasey Kahne with 17 laps left.
17. Conquering Daytona Again
Gordon got the best of Jarrett and Johnson at Dayton to win his third 500. He led 29 laps and finish ahead of some big commotion behind.
18. Showing Off on SNL
Gordon was best known for his work on the track, but he had a personality to match his success. He showed this to the nation by becoming the first NASCAR driver to host "Saturday Night Live" in January of 2003.
19. Changing the Chase
Gordon was right on the borderline of making the 2013 Spring Cup Chase and he missed out on the top 12 by one spot. Luckily for him, NASCAR Chairman Brian France put a new twist on the Chase, adding a 13th driver.
20. Brawling with Brad
Yes, there are more racing moments that could fill this list, but no one can forget when Gordon went after Keselowski at Texas in 2014. Gordon was upset about contact that the two made and he brought his entire crew to back him up. Chaos ensued.
