Will Jeff Gordon overtake David Pearson for No. 2 on the all-time wins list?
It’s not a matter of if Jeff Gordon will replace David Pearson in the No. 2 spot on NASCAR’s all-time victory list as much it is a matter of when. Having chalked up his 81st victory Saturday night at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, Gordon is now sixth on the career wins list. He’s two wins behind Cale Yarborough, three behind Darrell Waltrip and either three or four behind Bobby Allison, depending on how you view Allison’s disputed 1971 win while driving a Grand American car at Winston-Salem. Barring a catastrophe, Gordon is likely to reach 100 victories, even if he decides to hang up his helmet well before his infant daughter graduates from high school. Gordon needs 24 wins to tie Pearson’s mark of 105 victories, 25 to pass him. Over 15 full-time seasons, Gordon is averaging 5.4 wins a year. So if Gordon’s victory pace remains constant, we could see a new No. 2 by 2011 — perhaps before Gordon turns 40 on Aug. 4. If Gordon were to drive another 10 seasons and win four races a season — somethi
