Gordon wins at Brickyard for fifth time
INDIANAPOLIS— With a fifth Brickyard 400 victory on the line Sunday, Jeff Gordon looked like the driver he was 20 years ago.
Gordon nailed the final restart of the race — no given because restarts have been Gordon’s Achilles heel — to pass Hendrick teammate Kasey Kahne with 17 laps remaining at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
His power move from the outside lane past Kahne put Gordon out front for good, and he kicked it into cruise control for a NASCAR-record fifth victory at historic Indy. The win came on the 20th anniversary of Gordon’s win in the inaugural Brickyard 400, and on Jeff Gordon Day as declared by the mayor of Indianapolis.
“I told him this morning that this was his day,” said team owner Rick Hendrick.
The win moved Gordon into a tie with Michael Schumacher, whose five Formula One victories at Indy had been the gold standard.
Kyle Busch finished second, followed by Joe Gibbs teammates Denny Hamlin and Matt Kenseth.
“It is just a small victory. We’re still just inching our way there,” Hamlin said of JGR’s strong run.
Carl Edwards finished 15th, hours after Roush-Fenway Racing confirmed he was leaving the team at the end of the season.
Gordon, who won NASCAR’s first race at storied Indy in 1994, also won the Brickyard in1998, 2001and 2004.