DARLINGTON, S.C. (WBTW) – Darlington Raceway honored seven-time track winner Jeff Gordon on Thursday morning by dedicating terrace boxes at the track to the driver.
The boxes are located in the Tyler Tower Grandstands and have been named the “Finish Line” terraces as a tribute to the fact that Gordon won seven times at Darlington, with six of those coming in the Southern 500.
Gordon was thrilled to be back at the track and honored to receive the recognition.
“This is special because this track is special to me,” Gordon said. “As a race car driver when you drive around a track like Darlington or Bristol and you see garages with legends like Yarborough, Petty and Pearson, those things stand out to you. And you hope you accomplish enough in racing to get recognized in that way.”
Gordon also raced in the Southern 500 last year to fill-in for Dale Earnhardt Jr., who was dealing with concussion-like symptoms. This year, he says he’s happy to be watching instead of racing.
“I just saw other opportunities that interested me,” Gordon said of his retirement. “Would I have liked a championship under the new system? Yes. But when I look at my career and what I accomplished, it’s beyond my wildest dreams.”
