Gordon

Somehow, there's a great irony in the fact that Jeff Gordon, who counts Pepsi as his primary associate sponsor, is the leading active driver in the Coca-Cola 600.

Think of it as the Pepsi Challenge meets The Real Thing.

The defending and four-time Winston Cup champion returns to Lowe's Motor Speedway for Sunday's Coca-Cola 600 with three victories and five poles in nine career starts on his resume.

For a guy who currently sits sixth in the standings and has yet to win a race this season, there's no better place for Gordon to earn his first win in 2002 than at the 1½-mile suburban Charlotte oval.

"Lowe's is one of my favorite tracks," Gordon said. "We always seem to do well there. Whenever we need it, racing there usually gives us a shot in the arm."

And a shot in the arm is something Gordon desperately needs right now.

But qualifying No. 1 or taking the checkered flag in the longest, most grueling race on NASCAR's schedule won't be as easy for Gordon this year as it has seemed to be in years past.

First, Sunday evening's race will be the biggest test of NASCAR's new one-engine rule for this season. With practice, qualifying, Happy Hour and the race itself, engines will be tested like they've never been, reaching 700 miles or more in total over a three-day period.

While that kind of mileage may be a piece of cake on a family passenger car, it's close to a death sentence for a Winston Cup motor, especially if there's no chance to tweak or replace parts, let alone the whole engine.

As a result, Gordon, whose first of 58 career victories came in this weekend's race back in 1994, will spend a little less time than he normally would behind the wheel in an effort to maximize its high performance capability in Sunday's race.

"When NASCAR announced the rule, we were worried about this event," said Randy Dorton, engine department director for Hendrick Motorsports. "We feel more comfortable now after monitoring engine components from other 500-mile races with additional miles added to them so far this season.

"We also put restrictions on the amount of miles our teams can put on a motor during practice leading up to the event. We want to be sure that we provide an engine that produces maximum horsepower -- and will last 600 miles on race day."

Gordon doesn't seem phased by the 4½ hour length of the race, having complete confidence that Dorton and the rest of the team's engine staff have built durability and endurance into the motor they'll use in Charlotte.

"Randy and the guys in the engine shop do a great job with the motors," Gordon said. "I know when we arrive at the track that we have some of the best motors available. All we need to worry about is getting the car through the corner because I know the car will be strong down the straightaways."

But while Gordon is confident about the strength of what will be under the hood of his car, there's no denying this has been an uncharacteristic year, by Gordon's standards. Without any wins and only two top-5 finishes (second at Texas and fourth at Talladega) in the first 11 races, not to mention the imbroglio in his personal life, Gordon is lucky to be in sixth in the standings.

The main key is not to get rattled if he gets off to a slow start in Sunday's race. With its length, there's plenty of time to turn misfortune into good fortune, Gordon said.

"It's a long race and you can't panic when they drop the green flag and the car isn't perfect," Gordon said. "Conditions will change a lot as the sun goes down and the track temperature drops. The car must be adjustable and you have to go the right direction with your adjustments. Communication among the team is very important as the race wears on.

"While you have to be patient during this event, there's not much pacing going on. The cars work so well and the engines produce so much horsepower, it's just go-go-go."

New teammate Joe Nemechek, who recently replaced Jerry Nadeau behind the wheel of the No. 25 Chevrolet, can see the fire in Gordon's eyes. He wouldn't be surprised to see his new buddy win Sunday night's race.

"I think you're going to see him on a mission," Nemechek said. "He definitely wants to win. It's not like Jeff Gordon to be back in the points standings. He's a tough competitor, is going to do what it takes to win, and he's hungry."

Jerry Bonkowski covers NASCAR for ESPN.com.