Gordon Lights Up Daytona Race

The rap against Jeff Gordon in his two championship seasons has been his failure to win a race in the final two months.

Gordon put that problem to bed with a flourish late Saturday night, winning a three-lap sprint to the finish of the Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway.

“This is October and we are in Victory Lane and we’re not dreaming,” the elated Gordon said after putting himself virtually out of reach in his Winston Cup title battle with Mark Martin.

It was Gordon’s 11th victory of the season and the 40th of his career. More important, combined with Martin’s 16th-place finish, Gordon added 70 points to his lead and is 358 ahead with three races remaining.

The 160-lap race was stopped for 37 minutes by a brief rain shower with only five laps remaining and Gordon holding a tenuous lead over a pack of challengers.

Gordon only has to finish 32nd or better in each of the remaining races to win his second straight title and third in four years.

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Ron Hornaday, battling for a second NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship, broke his own Mesa Marin Raceway qualifying record to win the pole position for today’s Dodge California Truck Stop 300 at the Bakersfield track. Hornaday averaged 95.400 mph. His old mark, set in 1996, was 92.540.

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. overcame early problems, and moved a step closer to the NASCAR Busch Series title with a victory in the Carquest Auto Parts 250 at Madison, Ill.

Earnhardt is trying to become the first third-generation driver to win a major NASCAR title.

His father is a seven-time Winston Cup champion, and his late grandfather was a pioneer Sportsman division winner.

The victory at Gateway International Raceway gave Earnhardt, 24, a 102-point lead.