Gordon & Earnhardt By The Numbers

Jeff Gordon won his 77th career victory today at Talladega Superspeedway, moving him ahead of the late Dale Earnhardt in career wins. Obviously, both have had outstanding careers, and the numbers back it up. Here's a quick comparison, by the numbers, of their two careers on this historic day for NASCAR.

Dale Earnhardt won 76 races in 670 starts, leaving a winning percentage of 11.3%. Gordon has now won 77 races in 482 starts, with a win coming in 16% of all races run.
Gordon won his 77th race in his 15th full season. Earnhardt won 76 in 22 full seasons.
Gordon's 77th came at the age of 35. Earnhardt's 76th came at the age of 49. Earnhardt (24) was four years older than Gordon (20) when he got his first NASCAR Nextel Cup Start.
Dale Earnhardt led more than 7,000 more laps than Gordon has in his career.
Both drivers have led 10.4% of the laps they raced in.
Earnhardt won 22% percent of the time he went to Talladega and Gordon has done it 17% of the time.
Earnhardt has 10 wins at Talladega in 44 starts while Gordon has 5 wins there in 29 starts.
Gordon has finished 46% of his races in the top 5. Earnhardt finished 42% of his in the top 5.

Pretty similar, wouldn't ya say? Two of the best, for sure.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

4-29-2007 @ 8:11PM

Mother said...

Its embarrasing that when the evening news show the race winner,it will show all the NASCAR 'fans' throwing garbage at the winner.
If NASCAR doesnt control this dangerous behavior,there will be alot more empty seats because I will definately not want to be in the way of a hurled beer can.
Jeff Gordon isnt my fave driver,but this man deserves SOME respect for his hard earned accomplishments.
This is why NASCAR is still viewed so poorly.
Oh dear,Junebugs fans think they are doing him a favor.
Get a clue,people.

4-29-2007 @ 9:30PM

rj said...

I agree im no why shape or form a Gordon fan. But he has my RESPECT for the way he has presented himself.

4-29-2007 @ 9:57PM

driver said...

NASCAR is a very interesting yet enigmatic sport. It takes a significant amount of knowledge and sophistication to mount a campaign in Cratsman, Busch or Nextel. So, why is it that the fan base exhibits boorish behavior bordering on the Neanderthal? Once again, NASCAR has been embarrassed by the aftermath of the race at Talladega. No team and no driver deserves such a display of crude behavior.

4-29-2007 @ 10:13PM

JERRY said...

WHAT A BUNCH OF WHITE TRASH HILLBILLIES THEY GOT IN ALABAMA! THEY ARE NOT TRUE FANS OF NASCAR

4-29-2007 @ 10:54PM

Just an avg guy said...

That's it...I'm out. NASCAR had me and lost me. It's plain to see that NASCAR has taken a huge step back to the "Billy Bob" image and era it has tried to shed over the past two decades. Let's face it; this is the WWE on wheels and a track where fans consistantly live up to their own stereotype, week-in and week-out. They really are a bunch of low brow hillbilly, mullet wearing, beer tossing morons. There are other real racing alternatives out there; F1, Lemans, IRL and Champ Car to name a few, that deserve the massive sponsor dollars and fan support that are given to NASCAR. When will these idiots wake up?

4-30-2007 @ 2:47AM

Geoffrey Miller said...

Mother & Driver - thanks for the good, debatable comments.

4-30-2007 @ 4:30AM

vicki dobnak said...

why would earnhart fan take jeffs glory away he is the best driver in nascar today god bless u jeff u really are the best devoted fan vicki dobnak keep winning i love it

4-30-2007 @ 10:21AM

sue said...

WOW !!!!! take the beer cans out of the hands of those idiots, its simple. Jeff gordon deserves the respect, for his racing, and as a human being. I know those drunks who acted like idiots, have to regret what happened yesterday, and if they don't get out of the sport. Nascar is a family sport. Alot of good families, including children go to the races, lets not beat up on them, or the other drivers. Jeff Gordon is a great driver, with a large number of fans, like it or not, respect it !

4-30-2007 @ 7:30AM

James said...

The GREAT Dale told Jeff one day that as long as he had the fans making noise of cheers or of booings he has done his job. That being said if the track can't control the IDIOTS that Dale himself would have been ashamed of then the track should lose the races it gets.

4-30-2007 @ 7:37AM

OlBarb said...

Racing has changed and Nascar is constantly changing the rules and the cars. Back in the Earnhart days, there weren't 5 or 6 teammates from the same owner to save you or help you to win. The frustration of having that many with one owner and helping one another to block any tries by other cars, is making it less competative. And less fun to watch.

4-30-2007 @ 9:48AM

amart said...

THE BEHAVIOR AT TALLADEGA IS PRECISELY WHY NASCAR IS, AND WILL ALWAYS BE, THE SPORT OF RIFF RAFF, THE UNWASHED MASSES, AND IGNORANT REDNECKS!

4-30-2007 @ 9:54AM

Scott said...

JEFF is the MAN...............don't hate.

4-30-2007 @ 2:46PM

Pat Corbat said...

Re the trash throwing at Gordon when he wins. I like Jr. very much but No.3 fans come across as white trash when they throw trash. I am a proud Hoosier and love the Brickyard 500. but I would have no problem with Jr. winning the Brickyard 500, even though I am a Gordon fan and he hails from Indiana. I'm sure NO ONE would throw trash at Jr. should he win there. We have one helluva lot more class!!!

4-30-2007 @ 3:33PM

theodore said...

Congratulations Jeff, and my best wishes are that you win many more races. Please don't even think about retiring - just keep socking away those winning dollars in your 401K plan.

4-30-2007 @ 3:45PM

Bob Paglione said...

I think the fans are idiots. Dale Ernhardt was not the do-all be-all of nascar racing. the fans semm to forget Richard Petty is the king and to get mad and throw debris at Jeff Gordan for winning more races shows no class or respect for the mans talent. Dale jr doesn't have 1/10 the talant or ability of Jeff, if he wasn't Dale sr's boy he would not have even been noticed. Just because he comes from california and not some southern hick town doesn't mean he is not a good racer or driver.

4-30-2007 @ 4:40PM

JEFF JONES said...

DALE SR WAS A TRUE CHAMPION.R.I.P DALE.. IN 93 ALL MY FRIENDS WHERE SR FANS,I LIKED HIM BUT I SEEN 24 GORDON RACE AND TOLD THEM THEN TO WATCH JEFF GORDON CAUSE ONE DAY HE WILL BE WINNING JUST LIKE DALE,AND 15 YEARS LAITER HE HAS 77 WINS.DALE WAS THE MAN{R.I.P}.BUT NOW THERES A NEW MAN IN TOWN SO HAVE ANOTHER BEER ALABAMA GANG

4-30-2007 @ 4:49PM

Jackie said...

If drivers can't surpass any of #3's records then that would be the end of NASCAR. And also the end of the tobacco chewing, beer guzzling, crotch scratching rednecks that watch. GOOD!!!!

4-30-2007 @ 5:01PM

jim said...

Everyone needs to remember that Alabamians were probably in the minority at the track Sunday. If everyone remembers they threw stuff at Gordon in Phoenix also. I guess there are a lot of hillbilly, Alabama redneck,southen trash living in Arizona also.

4-30-2007 @ 5:10PM

Howard said...

As a nascar fan I am truly ashamed of the way the idiots acted at talladega yesterday.
Us nascar fans already have the reputation of being stupid hicks with no common sense, and yesterday these people only reinforced the opionions of the people who stereotype us. Nice going guys!
I would like to add that Jeff is a great driver and so was Dale Sr, but King Richard had 200 wins during his career and David Pearson had 105.
These guys built their own cars and had to work on them, and they hauled them out to the track themselves. Today's drivers simply climb in the cars and drive them.

5-03-2007 @ 9:15AM

PVann said...

Washington state legislators must be patting themselves on the back after watching all the beer fly. Those were the people they were talking about when they stood against a track. And the news media? I saw 3 photos - one of the beer cans flying, one of everyone in the crowd throwing the bird at Gordon, and one of a Confederate flag flying. At that moment, I was ashamed to be a NASCAR fan but I was angry with the media for choosing the worst pictures to fan the flames. I will support any driver who shows respect and class. Little E and Gordon both fall in that category. But sadly I will never wear a Gordon shirt to a track because of all the abuse you take. I will pull out one of my shirts of a "neutral" driver like Martin or Jarrett and feel that I can walk through a crowd with hearing vulgar comments that I would hear in a Gordon shirt. Very sad.

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