Winston Cup stars Jeff Gordon and Mark will drive the final Busch Grand National Series events of their careers and both are itching for a victory in their final race in NASCAR's "junior circuit.''
With the exception of the 1987 season, Mark has been
moonlighting in the Busch Series making over 180 starts. With
40 victories, he will leave the Busch Series as the all-time
winningest driver. The closest driver to Mark in the Busch
Series win column is the retired Jack Ingram with 31.After 80 top-five finishes and 113 top-10 runs, Mark is pulling out of the Busch Series in order to ease his already busy Winston Cup schedule. He has mixed emotions entering his final trip in the No. 60 Winn-Dixie Ford fielded by his Winston Cup owner Jack Roush.
"In one way I'm excited and in another way I'm kind of sad,'' Mark said. "Part of my reason for retiring from the Busch Series is to make more time in my schedule and have a little less intensity, but it has been a big part of my racing career and success. I'm going to miss that.''
Homestead-Miami Speedway is a perfect place for Mark to cap off his Busch Series career with a victory. He's the most successful driver at Homestead-Miami Speedway, having never finished outside the top 15.
In five Busch Grand National Series starts, Mark has four top-five finishes and a 14th-place finish in last year's HotWheels.com 300. In last year's inaugural Pennzoil 400 NASCAR Winston Cup Series event, Mark finished fourth.
All Mark is missing at Miami is a victory.
Said Jeff Burton of Mark's farewell salute in the Busch Series: "It is momentous and deserves celebration. He has been really good in Busch cars and they seem to suit his driving style."
Gordon used the Busch Series as a stepping stone to the NASCAR Winston Cup Series. In two full-time seasons in 1991 and 1992, Gordon posted three wins and 15 top-five finishes. He also captured a record 11 poles in 1992.
In the past two seasons, Gordon, who has won three NASCAR Winston Cup championships with Hendrick Motorsports, has been driving a limited schedule in the No. 24 Pepsi Chevrolet he owns along with his wife Brooke.
Gordon, who in 72 career starts has four victories, says his good-bye race in the Busch Series will not be a tearjerker like Mark's farewell.
"That will be the last one I run that I know of,'' Gordon
said with a laugh. "It's a little bit different. Mark has
been running the Busch Series for many, many years. For me,
the Busch Series is what got me into Winston Cup. I've
basically gone back to it for 11 races -- six last year and
five this year."It's been fun and I've enjoyed it, but our plans have changed a little bit going forward so that's why we're not able to do it anymore. I can't say it's a big emotional thing like Mark. Mark has won a whole bunch of races and it's been something that's been a big part of his racing career.''
Gordon loves the venue for his Busch Series sendoff party - Homestead-Miami Speedway.
"I love the way that people in South Florida entertain and they make it a lot of fun,'' said Gordon, who finished 10th in last year's inaugural Pennzoil 400 Winston Cup Series event. "You never realize just how many race fans are out there all around the country in different states. There are a lot of fans in South Florida that we never knew about until we went there last year in Winston Cup.''
