Thursday, Feb. 9, 2006 | 12:33 p.m.
Only two drivers in NASCAR history - Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt - have won seven Cup championships in their careers. Jeff Gordon, who has four, doesn't expect to match those racing legends before he retires.
Gordon, who won his fourth Cup title in his ninth full season, said he does not plan to hang around the sport long enough to win a seventh or eighth championship.
"Looking at the expectations of winning seven or eight championships, I'm more of a realist, and I realize unless I did some really crazy stuff over the next four or five years where we just went bananas and nobody could touch us, then, yeah, maybe we can do that," Gordon said. "But I don't think that's reality.
"I think we've got a shot to get one, maybe two more (championships). And, honestly, if I get two more championships, I will retire after that (sixth) championship. Seven is not what I'm here to do."
That's not to say that Gordon thinks his No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet team isn't capable of winning more championships. It's just that they are getting more difficult to win with the increased competition, he said.
"With as much work that's gone into getting four, I can't imagine that three or four (more) are going to come very easily," Gordon said. "I still think we have what it takes to win championships or I wouldn't be out here.
"I still love the competition - getting out there and competing against the best guys out there - (but) I'm not going to do this until I'm 50."
The National Hot-Rod Association opens its 2006 season today with the 46th annual Winternationals at Pomona Raceway in Southern California.
The race will mark the professional debut of Hillary Will, who is driving the Top Fuel dragster owned by Las Vegas businessmen Ken and Kenny Black and prepared by Kalitta Motorsports.
"I know there are a lot of fans that are excited to see a new team out here," said Will, who is making the leap to Top Fuel from Top Alcohol Dragster. "No matter who's watching, I've got to do my job so I can't let the pressure get to me.
"Actually, now that we've tested, I feel less pressure. I feel a sense of confidence going into this race."
Will, 25, turned in a pair of runs of 4.48 seconds at 327 mph during testing last weekend at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Brian Hilderbrand can be reached at 259-4089 or at [email protected].
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