Gordon, 24, Prepares For Century Mark

Jeff Gordon, who will not turn 25 until Aug. 4, will reach a milestone today in the First Union 400 at North Wilkesboro (N.C.) when he starts his 100th Winston Cup race.

Gordon, the Rookie of the Year in 1993 and the series champion in 1995, has already racked up some amazing numbers for one so young.

After having won three of the last four races this season, including the last two in a row, Gordon has 12 victories, 35 top-fives and 52 top-10s in his 99 starts.

That means he’s finished in the top 10 in 53 percent of his starts.

He already has amassed $7.3 million in race winnings.

“I don’t think age has a lot to do with racing,” Gordon said. “This is a team sport, and I am fortunate to be with the best team in the business and the best crew chief (Ray Evernham).

“I don’t know any other way to explain my success. I’m just doing what I love to do and what I’ve wanted to do since I was about five years old.”

Provisional thoughts

Terry Labonte, who has not missed a Winston Cup race since the end of the 1978 season, will match Richard Petty’s record of 513 consecutive starts today at North Wilkesboro.

Over the years, the closest Labonte has come to missing races have been the relatively few occasions when he has had to use a provisional start, based on car-owner points, to make it into the field.

“I had to take a few provisionals over the year,” he said. “It’s kind of funny, somebody brought up the fact the other day that a couple of those cars that I drove over the years, that was the biggest accomplishment just making the race in some of them.

“There were some races that we went to that we didn’t run too good in. The thing that is so exciting about this streak is the fact that this (Hendrick Motorsports) is the best team that I have ever been with.

“We go into these races now, not just trying to make the race but with a chance to win them.”

Man to beat

Rusty Wallace would have to be considered the man to beat at North Wilkesboro, based on his record there during the ‘90s.

After failing to post a top-five finish on the half-mile track in the first four races of the decade, Wallace has finished no lower than fourth in his last eight starts at the tiny track in northwestern North Carolina.

During that period, he has two victories - both races in 1993 - three seconds and three fourths.

Good student

After two days of tire testing last week during a quick trip to Japan’s Suzuka Circuitland, seven-time Winston Cup champion Dale Earnhardt is feeling pretty good about racing on the 1.4-mile course in November.

That’s when NASCAR will bring 30 drivers to Japan for the first in a series of demonstration races.

Before Earnhardt went out to do the tire tests, he went around the track with Japanese driver Keiichi Tsuchiya and an interpreter.

“I just wanted him to show me his line,” Earnhardt said. “He’s run Suzuka Circuit so many times. He’s very highly thought of and very popular over there. He’s an accomplished driver.”

Spring break

Winston Cup racing had its one spring weekend off last week, but the Busch Grand National series begins a month-long break this week.

The series will be idle until the New England Chevy Dealers 200 at New Hampshire International Speedway on May 11.

Great weekend

David Green’s record-setting pole victory last week at Hickory Speedway was somewhat overshadowed by his victory in the Sundrop 300.

Green, who has led NASCAR’s Busch Grand National series in poles each of the past two seasons, set a series record for the most consecutive poles at one track, taking his fourth in a row at Hickory.