DARLINGTON, S.C. - - When the money's on the line, Jeff Gordon

Gordon holds off Burton to win in 1997.

is as successful as they come in NASCAR racing. With big money on the line, the high stakes racer steps up.

Earlier this year, Gordon won the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte. That put him in position to win $1,000,000 in the Brickyard 400 as part of the Winston No Bull Five program. Gordon held off a late challenge from Mark Martin to win the race and the No Bull Five bonus.

In 1997, Gordon won three of the four races that comprised the Winston Million. The final one coming at Darlington on Labor Day weekend. Great pit stops and desire behind the wheel thrust Gordon into the lead of the Southern 500 late in the event. He then held off a last lap charge from Jeff Burton to take the win.

He's taken the checkered flag in two Brickyard 400 races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Throw in a Daytona 500 victory and two wins in the Winston all-star race and you can see the DuPont team's success when the money's on the line. Should he win his fourth consecutive Southern 500, he'll pocket another million. In the big races, Jeff Gordon and the DuPont team rise to the occasion. On Sunday at Darlington, they'll have another opportunity to prove that.

Copyright ©1998 Jeff Gordon Online. All rights reserved. Do not duplicate this article in any form without prior written permission from the author.