For many Hardcore Race Fans out there the thought of Jeff Gordon not winning a race is absolutely absurd. One of the greatest drivers to hit the sport since Dale Earnhardt, Gordon stormed on the scene as a rookie in 1993 and turned heads from the outset. Although he failed to win a race during his rookie season, Gordon earned his first career victory in the 1994 Coca-Cola 600 and went on a winning streak that lasted fourteen years.

Coming off a strong 2007 season, Gordon headed into Daytona in February as one of the front runners to take the title he missed out the year before. Starting the year off with an eighth-place start in the Daytona 500, Gordon looked to be on his way to another successful season.

A suspension failure ended Gordon's day early, resulting in a 39th-place finish in Daytona. However, he was able to rebound for a third-place finish in Fontana. The following weekend in Las Vegas, Gordon took one of the hardest hits of his career after contact with Matt Kenseth sent him head-on into the inside retaining wall - he finished 35th. Again, Gordon was able to rebound scoring a fifth in Atlanta, an eleventh in Bristol and was runner-up to Denny Hamlin in Martinsville.

While things began looking up for the four-time champion, the ensuing trip to the Texas Motor Speedway resulted in more frustration. One of only two tracks on the circuit Gordon has never scored a victory at, the driver of the No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet had an absolutely dismal showing in only the seventh race in the year. In one of his worst races in recent years, Gordon fought his ill-handling Chevy for the entire race before losing control on his own and slapping the wall on Lap 110 of 334. While the team made repairs, Gordon could do little to salvage things and ended the day early in 43rd-spot.

Finishing last for only the third time in his entire career, Gordon was more dumbfounded than frustrated. "I can't remember the last time we struggled this bad," Gordon explained. "It is just a bad day gone worse for our team."

Unfortunately for Gordon and his Steve Letarte-led crew, the bad days were not behind him. While he was able to run well for much of the season, DNF's followed at Michigan (42nd), Talladega (38th) and the second to last race of the year in Phoenix where an engine failure resulted in a 41st-place finish. Despite his struggles, Gordon remained confident in not only his abilities, but his team. "It's important," Gordon said about winning, "but it's not the end of the world."

Able to salvage a seventh-place finish in the series standings, Gordon obviously expected more out of 2008, but was not entirely disappointed despite going winless. In the end, Gordon ended the season with thirteen top-5s, nineteen top-10s and four pole positions.

"Other than the focus that has been put on the winless season, to me this is definitely not at all one of our worst seasons," Gordon pointed out. "I look at 2000, and 2005 when we missed the Chase. Those were much worse than years and we won races in those seasons. But to me, to know going into [Phoenix in November] we were fifth in points, that shows what a race team and race organization and what a turnaround we've had this season and to me, that?s certainly not a terrible year."

Perhaps the criticism of going winless this season was a bit harsh, but nonetheless Jeff Gordon is expected to win. Perhaps becoming a father, enjoying his new marriage and simply transitioning into the next stage of his career shifted Gordon's focus this year. Maybe he simply struggled adapting to this new car. Whatever the reason do not expect this winless streak to last long into the 2009 season.

Gordon seems excited as ever to get the season underway and prove he still has what it takes to get the job done. All of NASCAR's top stars have hit times in their careers when winning seemed next to impossible, but almost every time they found themselves celebrating in victory lane again and enjoying it that much more.