Successful Lineage
BLAKESLEE, PA. (June 21)- - Technological advancements, along with wrecks, make Winston Cup cars obsolete before most other race series. ARCA car owners generally bid on previously successful Winston Cup cars to use in their series. Frank Kimmel won Saturday's ARCA race at Pocono. Kimmel, an ARCA series veteran, led 37 of the 80 laps in picking up his first victory of the season. Kimmel might not be a familiar name, but you've probably seen the car he drove to victory lane when it had a different paint scheme. Car owner Larry Clement thanked a winning combination on the Winston Cup circuit for his team's strong showing. "I just want to give credit to Ray Evernham and Jeff Gordon," Clement said. "Ray has been helping us since we started ARCA racing in 1993. And this is a car that we picked up from Jeff last year. He sat on the pole with this car at Charlotte and ran this car at Bristol."

Meet Me In Memphis
MEMPHIS, TN. (June 18)- - Your phone rings. On the other end is Jeff Gordon asking you to help him out with a few test sessions for his Busch team. Sound far fetched? It was reality for USAC driver Ryan Newman. The South Bend, Indiana native recently tested the Gordon-Evernham Motorsports Chevrolet at Memphis Motorsports Park. Car owner Jeff Gordon was on hand to test his Winston Cup car at the track. Most NASCAR fans have never heard of Newman until the GEM tests. However, his background might remind some of a famous NASCAR driver. Newman, a junior at Purdue University, has been competing on the USAC series for a few years. He posted impressive USAC National Midget Car Series victories earlier this month at Indianapolis Raceway Park (IRP) and Winchester Speedway; two tracks that Jeff Gordon is quite familiar with. Newman currently leads the USAC Midget Car point standings over drivers such as Ricky Shelton and rising star Jason Leffler.

Honoring France
DETROIT, MI. (June 11)- - Jeff Gordon attended the 11th Annual Motorsports Hall of Fame of America Induction Ceremony on Thursday, June 10, at the State Theatre in Detroit. Gordon made the presentation of the Hall of Fame Heritage Award to NASCAR President Bill France. France received the prestigious award for his contributions to auto racing. As president of NASCAR, France helped guide stock car racing through phenomenal growth over the last two decades. France is also chairman and CEO of International Speedway Corporation, which owns numerous major race track facilities such as Daytona International Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway, and Darlington Raceway.

The Gospel
INDIANAPOLIS, IN. (June 5)- - Jeff Gordon spoke at the Indiana Billy Graham Crusade on Friday, June 4 at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis. Amid a plethora of camera-toting fans, Gordon offered a simple message Friday night: Christian faith strengthens him, on the race track and in his personal life. He talked about how his career and the glamour that accompanies it are no longer the most important part of his life. "Racing is one of my priorities, but it's not my top priority," Gordon said. "God is at the top. So is my wife and my family." He shared one of his favorite Scripture passages- one that his wife, Brooke, often tapes to the steering wheel of his race car- Philippians 4:13: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." The service also featured Ricky Skaggs, Cliff Barrows, George Beverly Shea, a 4,000-voice Choir and the praise band Ekklesia, as well as the inspirational words of Billy Graham.

Blue Hen Country
WILMINGTON, DE. (June 1)- - On June 3, the annual NASCAR Day sponsored by DuPont Automotive Finishes will be held at DuPont's Barley Mill Plaza, in Wilmington, Delaware. Jeff Gordon and crew chief Ray Evernham will be on hand and will autograph one item for each of the first 500 DuPont employees who are in line by 1 p.m. The #24 DuPont Automotive Finishes car, the 1998 ChromaLusion car, and the Superman car will be on display. DuPont Motorsports merchandise will be on sale.

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