Gordon Wins Second Straight!

HAMPTON, Ga. (Oct. 27, 2003) – Jeff Gordon took the No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet to Victory Lane for the second consecutive race, winning Monday’s rain-delayed 500-miler at Atlanta Motor Speedway for his 64th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series win. Gordon led the final 36 laps en route to his third triumph of 2003, giving him a two-race victory streak heading into Sunday’s event at Phoenix International Raceway after also winning at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway on Oct. 19. “It felt like we were going to have a great race car and we certainly did,” said Gordon, who started 19th. “We had an awesome pit crew today and that’s what got us into Victory Lane. “What a major run for these guys and the DuPont Chevrolet.” The performance vaulted Gordon from sixth to fifth in Winston Cup championship points. On the season, he now has 14 top-five finishes, including six straight, and 18 top-10s. “Never count us out,” said Gordon, a four-time Winston Cup champion. “I know we haven’t won a whole lot this year, but we’re strong finishers. “I’m just so proud of this team and their efforts right now. We’ve had five straight great runs and we’re going to keep it going.” Driving the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet, Jimmie Johnson started ninth and finished third at Atlanta for his second consecutive top-three performance. He was second to Gordon one week ago at Martinsville. The result moved Johnson from fifth to fourth in the championship standings, where he sits just eight points behind second-place Dale Earnhardt Jr. After starting 32nd, Terry Labonte managed a 33rd-place finish after a cracked radiator briefly sidelined Kellogg’s / got milk? Racing. The team did return to the race track, recording their 39th consecutive DNF-free race. Labonte slid one position in the driver standings to 10th overall, just six points behind ninth-place Bill Elliott. On his 20th birthday, Brian Vickers qualified fourth in the No. 25 UAW-Delphi Chevy, but a blown engine sidelined the effort early on Sunday. The youngster was credited with a 43rd-place finish after completing 18 laps. Originally scheduled for Sunday, the race was moved to Monday morning after rain showers soaked the 1.54-mile track after just 33 laps were completed. The NASCAR Winston Cup Series will next visit the one-mile Phoenix International Raceway on Sunday, Nov. 2. NBC and MRN Radio will broadcast the event live beginning at 3 p.m. ET.