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Friday 1 February 2019

LeTANG

DYNASTY

In this Nov. 16, 1997, file pho-
to, Jeff Gordon, from Pittsboro,
Ind., celebrates his second
NASCAR Winston Cup Cham-
pionship at the Atlanta Motor
Speedway in Hampton, Ga.
Associated Press
Jeff Gordon

altered

NASCAR

landscape

on way to

Hall of Fame

By JENNA FRYER
AP Auto Racing Writer
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) —
Jeff Gordon graduated
from racing sprint cars on
"Thursday Night Thunder"
to the big leagues of NAS-
CAR, arriving with a silly
mustache, a mullet and
a briefcase that held little
more than his Nintendo
Game Boy.
The 20-year-old from Cali-
fornia, who briefly relo-
cated to Indiana for its
lowered age requirements
to race, was very much
an outsider in a series with
deep Southern roots. The
fragile state of open wheel
racing had thrown a road-
block into Gordon's career
path and he'd detoured to
stock cars as the best op-
tion.
The "Wonder Boy" almost
immediately took NASCAR
mainstream. Gordon is Letang, Penguins jump out early, top Lightning 4-2
largely credited for push-
ing the sport beyond a re-
gional series to one with an Pittsburgh Penguins' Kris Letang celebrates his goal during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Tampa Bay Light-
international presence. ning in Pittsburgh, Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2019.
Associated Press
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