Jeff Gordon Ready to Fly at Daytona

CONCORD, N.C. (June 27, 2006) – Coming off a NASCAR-record ninth road course victory Sunday at Infineon Raceway, Jeff Gordon’s sights are now firmly set on his next challenge: Daytona International Speedway, where he leads all active drivers with six career NEXTEL Cup Series wins. Gordon has posted eye-popping, almost otherworldly statistics at the Daytona Beach, Fla., track, so it seems appropriate he would go into Saturday’s Pepsi 400 with a special passenger -- who is, coincidentally, faster than a speeding bullet -- by driving a No. 24 DuPont/Pepsi Chevrolet promoting “Superman Returns.” Brandon Routh, star of the Warner Bros. motion picture opening nationwide Wednesday, will be the event’s Grand Marshal and Pepsi, the movie’s official soft drink partner, is offering fans the opportunity to win the Ultimate Racing Reward -- a trip to all 10 Chase races -- when Gordon reveals a secret password during the Pepsi 400 television broadcast. “Having Superman aboard the DuPont/Pepsi Chevy is pretty cool,” said Gordon, whose Monte Carlo SS will feature the Superman shield on the hood. “Who didn’t grow up reading the comic books or watching the movies? I’m just hoping Superman and I can take the car to Victory Lane.” At times, Gordon has seemed superhuman at Daytona. He’s led an astounding 20 of his 27 races at the 2.5-mile track (470 total laps) en route to 10 top-five finishes and 15 top-10s. He has three victories in the Pepsi 400 and another three in the season-opening Daytona 500. On superpseedways in general, the record speaks for itself. In 54 restrictor-plate races, the four-time NEXTEL Cup champion has paced 1,172 laps, the most of all current drivers and second all-time, and has won 10 races at Daytona and Talladega, Ala., combined (also the best active total). They are stats the Man of Steel would be proud of, but Gordon sounds more like Clark Kent in crediting simple hard work and the dedication of his team. “At Hendrick Motorsports, we take a great deal of pride in our restrictor-plate program and it just continues to get better with each race,” Gordon said. “The No. 24 team has enjoyed a ton of success at Daytona, but so have our teammates. It’s something we’ve emphasized as an organization and the results speak volumes.” Like Superman with Kryptonite, every good hero has a weakness. But Gordon believes the Achilles’ heel of his No. 24 Chevrolet team has been more circumstance than mechanics in 2006. “Several times we’ve run well, but didn’t have the finishes we would’ve liked,” he said. “We had a top-five car at Bristol, a top-10 car at Pocono and a car capable of winning at Michigan. Right now, we’re focused on turning that corner and building momentum toward the Chase. Sunday’s win certainly helped get us closer to where we want to be and now we’re focused on getting two in a row.” Of course, any legitimate superhero also has a nemesis. At Daytona, Gordon may have three. “Our teammates may be our biggest competition this weekend,” Gordon said. “Jimmie (Johnson) has won two in a row on the big tracks, but Kyle (Busch) and Brian (Vickers) are pretty good themselves. There’s definitely a chance it could come down to the Hendrick cars at the end. I’m just hoping it’ll be the one with Pepsi and the big ‘S’ on the hood.” PEPSI’S ULTIMATE RACING REWARD: Watch Jeff Gordon race the No. 24 DuPont/Pepsi Chevrolet in the Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway on July 1 on FOX at 7:30 p.m. EST. You could win the Ultimate Racing Reward -- a trip to all 10 Chase races -- by visiting the Pepsi Stage or watching the race broadcast to learn the secret password. Visit www.DailyPlanet.com/Pepsi400 by July 6, 2006 to play. ABOUT ‘SUPERMAN RETURNS’: Following a mysterious absence of several years, the Man of Steel comes back to Earth in “Superman Returns.” While an old enemy plots to render him powerless once and for all, Superman faces the heartbreaking realization that the woman he loves, Lois Lane, has moved on with her life. Or has she? Superman’s bittersweet return challenges him to bridge the distance between them while finding a place in a society that has learned to survive without him. In an attempt to protect the world he loves from cataclysmic destruction, Superman embarks on an epic journey of redemption that takes him from the depths of the ocean to the far reaches of outer space. MEDIA INFORMATION: Jesse Essex, Hendrick Motorsports 704-455-0527 [email protected]