Eye on another record for Gordon?

DARLINGTON, SC - MAY 11: Jeff Gordon, driver of the #24 Cromax Pro Chevrolet, climbs into his car during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Bojangles' Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway on May 11, 2013 in Darlington, South Carolina. (Photo by Geoff Burke/Getty Images)
DARLINGTON, SC - MAY 11:  Jeff Gordon, driver of the #24 Cromax Pro Chevrolet, climbs into his car during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Bojangles' Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway on May 11, 2013 in Darlington, South Carolina.  (Photo by Geoff Burke/Getty Images)
DARLINGTON, SC – MAY 11: Jeff Gordon, driver of the #24 Cromax Pro Chevrolet, climbs into his car during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Bojangles’ Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway on May 11, 2013 in Darlington, South Carolina. (Photo by Geoff Burke/Getty Images)

DARLINGTON, S.C.— Saturday night’s Bojangles’ Southern 500 at Darlington marked Jeff Gordon’s 700th start in the Sprint Cup Series, all consecutive.

That’s the longest consecutive-game streak in any of the major sports, but Gordon isn’t ready to contemplate breaking Ricky Rudd’s Cup mark of 788—not yet. Assuming a 36-event schedule and no break in action for Gordon, the driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet would break Rudd’s record in the 28th race of 2015.

“Never say never, but that to me is like David Pearson’s 105 wins,” said Gordon, who with 87 Cup victories is third behind Pearson on the all-time list. “It’s too far out there. You have to get closer before you can think realistically about those things. I never dreamed I’d make 700 consecutive starts.

“It’s just an amazing thing for me to try to swallow right now, because it’s been an amazing run of great teams and cars and going from like 28 races my first year now to 36. So a lot of things happened over the years. I’m just enjoying the moment right now of those 700 and not thinking ahead too much.”

Greg Engle
About Greg Engle 7421 Articles
Greg is a published award winning sportswriter who spent 23 years combined active and active reserve military service, much of that in and around the Special Operations community. Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.