#24-Jeff Gordon turns 42 on Sunday at Pocono Raceway. Good for him, showing hes still got what it takes to compete for a Sprint Cup championship. Maybe not so good for NASCAR. As the sport tries to attract a younger fan base, the top talent keeps getting older with no signs of that changing. The average age of drivers in the top 10 in the standings is 36.5, four years older than in 2008. Led by #16-Greg Biffle, who will turn 44 in December, four drivers in the top 12 who would make the Chase if it started today are over 40 and 11 are 33 or older. #18-Kyle Busch, 28, is the baby of the bunch, no pun intended. Not since Jimmie #48-Johnson came onto the scene in 2002 has there been a young driver who successfully and consistently challenged the old guard for championships. He was 26 and arrived with little to no fanfare. Before that it was #14-Tony Stewart, who was 26 at the start of the 1998 season. Not since a 21-year-old Gordon entered NASCARs top series in 1993 has a driver in his early 20s become dominant.( ESPN )
