SPEEDWAY, IN.- - Jeff Gordon tested at the famed
Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 12-13 in preparation for the Brickyard 400 on August 8.
Gordon ran a total of 103 laps over the two day session and turned a fast lap of 179.45 miles per hour,
which was the fifth fastest of the 22 drivers who participated in the test session. Gordon's Hendrick Motorsports
teammate Brian Vickers was the fastest overall with a lap of 181.55.
Gordon is the only three-time winner of the Brickyard 400 having scored victories in 1994, 1998, and 2001.
His victory in 1994 helped propel him to national stardom as he battled Ernie Irvan in the closing stages. When Irvan
cut a tire with just a handful of laps to go, Gordon cruised to his second career victory.
"It’s all about the competition, the competition just gets tougher," Gordon said after testing.
"That first year we had great horsepower, and we had a decent-handling race car. The horsepower made up for it. Nowadays
you have to have both, for sure. And you’ve got to have everything right, pit stops, pit strategy.
This is a race where everybody brings their best stuff, puts their best effort forward. If you don't, you're certainly
not going to have a chance of winning, and even if you do, it doesn't secure anything."
<<Brickyard test speeds (Monday/Tuesday)
Audio
Tuesday Testing Photos: Complete gallery (7/13)
Monday Testing Photos: Complete gallery (7/12)
JG Brickyard photos: Chatting with Boston Reid | Staring
Listening in | On track | Talking it over
Ready to go | JG | Car 24A |
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