Originally published Sunday, February 27, 2011 at 8:26 PM

Jeff Gordon ends NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winless streak at 66 | Auto racing

Jeff Gordon captured Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event in Avondale, Ariz., ending a 66-race winless streak.

ROSS D. FRANKLIN / AP

Jeff Gordon celebrates his win in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series auto race at Phoenix International Raceway on Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011, in Avondale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) AZRF116

AVONDALE, Ariz. — Shortly before peeling off what he called a lame burnout near the finish line, Jeff Gordon screamed into his radio, the emotion pouring out with his voice.

"We just beat Kyle Busch!" he yelled.

Gordon did much more. He was headed back to victory lane, the longest winless streak of his career finally in the rearview mirror.

Gordon passed Busch with eight laps left Sunday at Phoenix International Raceway and stretched his lead from there, ending his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winless streak at 66 races.

"It feels so amazing. I can't tell you how amazing this feels," said Gordon, a four-time series champion at NASCAR's highest level. "It's been a long time, I know, and I'm going to savor this one so much."

PIR has been the place to end long winless streaks lately. Ryan Newman halted a 77-race checkerless streak at PIR in the spring and Carl Edwards stopped his run at 70 races without a victory in the fall.

Coming off a 28th-place finish in the Daytona 500, Gordon struggled in qualifying and started 20th. Early in the Subway Fresh Fit 500, he was knocked into the wall by Edwards and later had to avoid a massive wreck that led to a 14-minute red flag. He also had to pull behind another car to shake loose a piece of debris from his grill and fight his way back to the front after a slow pit stop late in the race.

Gordon still managed to lead a race-high 138 laps and win for the first time since April 2009 at Texas Motor Speedway. It was his 83rd career victory, tying him with Cale Yarborough for fifth on the career list.

"He was on a mission today, that's for sure," said Busch, who finished second.

Kasey Kahne of Enumclaw was sixth and Greg Biffle of Vancouver, Wash., was 20th of 43.

Note

• Morgan Lucas defeated Shawn Langdon in the Top Fuel final at the season-opening NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, Calif.

Robert Hight won the Funny Car final and Jason Line prevailed in Pro Stock.

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