Jeff Gordon joins historic ranks with Rolex 24 win

Competing in the Rolex 24 at Daytona for the second time in his career with Wayne Taylor Racing, Jeff Gordon joined historic ranks when his teammate Ricky Taylor passed Filipe Albuquerque with six minutes to go to win the race.

Gordon kept the No. 10 Konica Minolta Cadillac DPi-V.R near the front of the pack for his stints in the car. Overall, the Wayne Taylor Racing ride raced in the top three for all but the first four laps.

With the victory, Gordon joins the ranks of A.J. Foyt, Mario Andretti, and Jamie McMurray as the only drivers to win the Daytona 500 and Rolex 24.

"This is very surreal to me, this whole experience and moment, to have this on my résumé," Gordon said. "It's a very elite group that's won the Daytona 500 and the Rolex 24 together. That's something I'm very, very proud of. But I think more than anything is this experience for me of -- not to take anything away from 2007 with Max and Jan and Wayne -- what amazing race car drivers both Ricky and Jordan are and how difficult this race is."

Gordon finished third in his first Rolex 24 appearance in 2007.

While most are impressed by Gordon's historic accomplishment, he was focused on the talent of his teammates and fellow drivers.

"I was able to learn just how talented they are," Gordon said. "I mean, I was so impressed while watching all night. I was glued to the TV every second, every lap. I couldn't sleep because I wanted to watch these guys do what they did in the rain, in the cold, in the most treacherous conditions, and they did it at a level, that I'll be honest, I'm not capable of doing, and I was so impressed. Then you go to the last stint of a 24 -- hour race and you see it come down to that, and it was a thrill of a lifetime, and I'm just so honored to be sitting here and be a part of this experience."

It appeared Gordon had a bit of luck in his ride as his daughter Ella lost a tooth the morning of the race and Gordon kept it with him during his stints in the car.