By Dustin Long

The Roanoke Times

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Their cars parked together, teammates Jeff Gordon and Brian Vickers share more than garage space at Daytona International Speedway.

A recent break in Nextel Cup testing gave Gordon a chance to tell 20-year-old Vickers about his first Daytona test session 12 years ago. Gordon recalled how thrilled he was to drive Mark Martin's car for a few laps. Vickers then said how excited he was to drive Gordon's car in a test session last year at Phoenix.

After hearing the story, someone asked 32-year-old Gordon if he felt like he was getting older.

Gordon sipped from a bottle of water and corrected the person. "Wiser.

"I'm definitely getting older, but I don't mind it," said Gordon, a four-time series champion.

He hasn't slowed whether it's on the track, trading pranks with Vickers or questioning NASCAR's new points system.

Gordon enters this season trying to end his championship drought - one any other driver would love to suffer. Since winning his first title in 1995, Gordon has not gone more than two seasons between crowns. His last championship came in 2001.

He's finished fourth in points each of the past two seasons. A fall swoon ended his hopes in 2002, and a bad August slowed him last year.

Gordon and crew chief Robbie Loomis analyzed nearly every race last year trying to figure out what held them back.

"I thought we did a great job," said Gordon, who finished 28th or worse in four consecutive races last August. "We just had a few things happen to us. A few of the small things were self-induced, but the majority of the things that kept us out of the championship were things we really couldn't control. We've had a lot of good luck as a team for many years. Last year just wasn't our year."

This year could be. Of course many drivers think along those lines with the Daytona 500 less than a month away. Gordon should excel with NASCAR cutting the rear spoilers and making other modifications to the cars that will reduce downforce. That should make the rear of the cars less stable, and Gordon is among those who excel in such conditions.

Who will win the title is as mysterious as the new points system NASCAR will use in the Cup series. Details are expected to be announced next week. NASCAR stated that race winners will receive more points and that the championship will be based on the final 10 races, not the entire 36-race season. Most drivers don't like the new plan.

"I gave my opinion about it, my opinion didn't include a lot of things that they're doing," Gordon said of talks with NASCAR. "I would have liked to have seen something a little less drastic."

Some fans might say the same upon seeing Gordon's haircut. The hair is growing from the near-bald look he sported in the offseason.

"This is actually a lot compared to what I had a month ago," he said. "I just wanted to do something different. I was hoping it would be more grown out by now. I plan on growing it out the rest of the year."

Oh well, it's just the kid in Gordon, the one who often comes out around Vickers.

"We have a place together in Charlotte with Ricky [Hendrick]," Vickers said. "We just play pranks on each other a lot."

One recent prank was when Vickers and Hendrick, who owned Vickers' Busch series championship team last year, placed several bumper stickers on Gordon's car when he was gone for a week. Gordon retaliated by placing a Gordon bumper sticker on Vickers' car.

Teammates, friends and competitors. Sometimes age doesn't matter.