CONCORD, N.C. - For a driver, winning the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, one of NASCAR's four crown jewel events, is quite an accomplishment.
Probably leaves one feeling like a million bucks.
That sentiment was literal in 1997 when Jeff Gordon surged ahead to claim his third Southern 500 in a row, a streak that would reach four the following year. But on top of that, the victory completed the Winston Million in its last year of existence, making Gordon only the second driver to accomplish the feat along with Bill Elliott in 1985.
RELATED: See all four throwback paint schemes for this weekend's race at Darlington
Certainly, that added prestige - and hey, a million bucks is a million bucks - only made the victory that much more significant. And what do you know, while archivist Sam Ulrich was organizing shelves and sweeping corners, he stumbled across a few pieces from that car and that day!
This week's artifacts are the hood and a side panel from the No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet that day. The scheme was the signature, rainbow paint job but on the hood are the words, "Million Dollar Date", a reference to a promotional video Gordon cut in preparation of his pursuit of the Winston Million. That video, just over an hour long, can still be found in the recesses of YouTube, here:
The side panel bears tire marks from the fierce battles that are the norm throughout a race at Darlington. It was also signed by the 24 team.
Just for good measure, ol' Sam dug up a couple of other trinkets from the day: A Winston Million cap and a couple of printed "million dollar" bills complete with Gordon's face. Unfortunately, they are not accepted as currency. We tried. But cool keepsakes nonetheless!
RELATED: NASCAR points standings after Martinsville
Now, for you to win!
We know, we know. History is fun but what can you win this week? By now, hopefully you've grown accustomed to this story appearing every week and are prepared to take a trivia quiz based on Hendrick Motorsports' history at Darlington. If you are one of the participants who score the highest marks on the quiz, you will be automatically entered into a random drawing to win a prize! Last week, that honor went to Apra Rose of Junction City, Kansas as she was one of eight responders to ace our Martinsville Speedway test with a 100% score. Congrats!
RELATED: See Kyle Larson's paint scheme for the Indianapolis 500
Apra was sent a complete set of 1:64 diecasts sporting the 40th Anniversary paint schemes from last spring's race at Martinsville.
This week, you can win a crew shirt from 2018 Throwback Weekend at Darlington Raceway. The shirt, size extra large, is the same as those worn by William Byron's crew in the 2018 race in which the No. 24 was wrapped with a tribute scheme to Gordon's heyday. The scheme won the fan vote as the best that year.
The quiz will remain open until Monday night with only one entry per device allowed. Remember to check back in next Friday to see what Sam comes up with for a week at Bristol!