Thursday morning, Jeff Gordon unveiled his new No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet for the 2009 season on NBC's TODAY show. Only the second time in Gordon's - what will be - sixteen seasons his colors have changed, there are some dramatic differences for next season.

Gone are the rainbow colors of old and new is the black base coat on the Chevrolet Impala. The flames that have been present on Gordon's car since 2001 remain on the new scheme, with a bit of yellow added to the bottom. The biggest and most notable change to the car is the addition of the black.

"Beginning with the revolutionary 'Rainbow Warrior' paint scheme and transitioning into the now iconic 'Fire and Flames' scheme, I knew the 2009 'FireStorm' paint scheme needed to be special," Gordon explained. "Utilizing DuPont's state-of-the-art paint mixtures developed specifically for this project, the idea was to present a classic, yet contemporary look to the car.

"The blend of yellow to red flames from the front of the car back into the black makes the car appear to be a flaming thunderball rolling out of the dark clouds. It will be incredibly exciting to see this car on the race track."

With DuPont as his long-time primary sponsor and famed artist Sam Bass as the designer, Gordon has always had the fortune of some of the most unique and colorful paint jobs in the sport. When Gordon first broke onto the Cup Series scene in 1992, 'The Kid' sported the 'Rainbow Warrior' paint scheme - one he and his legendary crew, the 'Rainbow Warriors' made a iconic image in NASCAR history.

When the team made the switch to the current 'Fire and Flames' scheme, the fans ate it up. The switch seemed to mark a turn in Gordon's career as well. By the start of the 2001 season, Gordon was a three-time champion and had left behind the image of 'The Kid'. Gordon was one of the sport's biggest names, one of its toughest competitors and with the loss of Dale Earnhardt Sr. someone other drivers started to look up to. The flames on his car seemed to put the past behind him - not that it was anything to forget - and focus on establishing a solid legacy.

This new switch seems to follow along those same lines. When Gordon climbs into this new ride next season in Daytona he will be 37-years-old, and counting. The four-time champion is now a father of one and looking towards life after racing. The addition of the black to his once colorful paint scheme may signal another shift in Gordon's astonishing career.

"I'm fired up about our new paint scheme," Gordon said. "I've always loved cars with flames and the current 'Fire and Flames' paint scheme has been one of my favorites. But now I think we've improved upon that with the 'FireStorm' design and hopefully we'll be as fast on the track as the paint scheme makes us look."

Currently sixth on the all-time winless with 81 victories, Gordon has the chance to surpass Cale Yarborough, Darrell Waltrip and Bobby Allison with just four more victories. Winless so far in 2008, Gordon has struggled to get a handle on the current car a bit more than others. However, once he hits a streak the competition better look out. Gordon is the defending winner of this weekend's race in Talladega, as well as next week's Bank of America 500 at Lowe's Motor Speedway - the site of his last win.

Many have questioned Gordon's chances of visiting Victory Lane before the year is out. If the driver of the No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet does not score a win, it will mark the first time since 1992 Gordon has gone winless. Every driver goes through rough times and Gordon is no exception. Many thought Dale Earnhardt Sr. was washed up after going winless in 1997, yet 'The Intimidator' proved them wrong in 1998 by winning the Daytona 500. Even fellow Chase drivers Tony Stewart and Kevin Harvick have longer winless streaks than Gordon, but the four-time champ has seemed to draw all the attention.

Perhaps Thursday's announcement, coupled with the fact he is returning to tracks he had success on last year, has given Gordon the motivation he needs to get the job done. With six career wins at Talladega, Gordon knows the chance to end this streak is now.  "I feel this is a race we can win," Gordon pointed out. "We just need to be in a position at the end to challenge for the victory."