Gordon Ready to Paint Opposition Blue in Pepsi 400

      DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (June 14) -- Jeff Gordon confidently
said his team could make him a winner whether he was driving a
Chevrolet, Ford or Pontiac as he rested during his first day of
testing in early June at Daytona International Speedway.
      The defending NASCAR Winston Cup champion hopes the
Chevrolet Monte Carlo that Hendrick Motorsports recently
engineered can carry him to his second straight Pepsi 400 title
at the "World Center of Racing" July 6 at 11 a.m.
      Gordon and the DuPont Refinishes team unveiled a new car at
Daytona on June 10 in preparation for the "Mid-Summer Classic"
Pepsi 400 after wrecks in both the Daytona 500 and Winston Select
500 at Talladega rendered two superspeedway cars unraceable.  He
will be relying on this car and the "Rainbow Warriors" --
nicknamed for their multicolored car and uniforms -- to carry him
back into the thick of the 1996 NASCAR Winston Cup point race at
the season's unofficial halfway point.
      "I feel like we'd be where we are no matter what kind of car
we had because we have a great team," said Gordon, downplaying
the effects of recent NASCAR rule changes.  "If it was just the
car, there'd be a whole lot of Monte Carlos up there -- and
there's just a handful that are really running.  Those teams are
strong whether they'd be in a Pontiac, Ford or a Chevrolet, I
believe."
      Gordon will get a chance to show what the team learned at
the test in Busch Pole Award Qualifying on July 4 at 2:30 p.m.
Practice rounds will be held on July 4-5 with Busch Beer Second-
Round Qualifying set for 1 p.m. on July 5.
      In last year's Pepsi 400, Gordon outdistanced Sterling
Marlin and Dale Earnhardt in a final lap dash to the finish. 
He'll have to deal with them as well as two-time Daytona 500
champion Dale Jarrett, former Pepsi 400 winners Jimmy Spencer and
Ernie Irvan and others to capture the second NASCAR Winston Cup
event of the year at Daytona.
      "It meant a lot to put another notch in our belts at
Daytona," said Gordon, who had previously won the Busch Clash and
a Gatorade 125-Mile Qualifying Race there.  "Winning a points
race at Daytona was really a thrill and a lifetime goal."
      In crew chief Ray Evernham, Gordon has one of NASCAR's
hardest workers. That was reflected in their two-and-a-half day
test, where the team peaked on the second day with a best lap of
47.98 seconds, an average speed of 187.578 mph. In limited runs
the rebuilt car never matched the newer one in sheer speed.
      "Our superspeedway program hasn't been that great this
year," acknowledged Gordon, "so we're just trying to get as much
information as we can so we can come back (for the Pepsi 400) and
be competitive. These guys work hard -- even on off weeks --
that's why they're the best.
      "We've got some momentum right now so we've got to keep the
pressure on Earnhardt and those guys. They're not making any
mistakes and falling out of races. If they keep that up we'll
have a hard time but we're doing all we can to catch up."
      At the June test Gordon experienced conditions similar to
what he'll have in July, and the team took advantage of that.
      "In February the track is cooler and the tires seem to stay
with you longer," Gordon said of the difference between the 2.5-
mile Daytona trioval in February and mid-summer.  "The handling
is especially critical in July when the sun gets on the race
track and the cars don't stick as well.
      "Track position is so critical so you've got to work on
everything. You've got to work on qualifying so you can start up
front and then stay up front. That's what we were able to do last
July -- take the lead and then never let them get around us."
      A year ago the Pepsi 400 was the springboard to Gordon's
biggest national title, as he took the NASCAR Winston Cup point
lead a week later and never relinquished it.
      To see if he can accomplish the same feat in 1996, call the
Daytona International Speedway Ticket Office at (904) 253-RACE
(7223) for ticket orders and information.