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FORT WORTH, Texas — Doubts and questions harassed Jeff Gordon during his career-long winless drought, yet no matter what others said about the NASCAR champion, Gordon was his harshest critic.

"It makes you question how bad you really want it," said Gordon, whose last win until Sunday came in Oct. 2007. "How hard are you willing to work to get back to victory lane and how hard are you willing to drive? What's your physical condition? Where are you at mentally?

"I realized through last year that I didn't just want to be somebody out there riding around. I didn't want to be somebody that never won again."

The self-evaluation and changes that followed helped Gordon end his 47-race winless streak Sunday.

"It feels like the first time I've ever won," Gordon said after his 82nd career Cup win, which put him one behind Cale Yarborough for fifth on the all-time list. "It's been a long streak. Lots of ups and downs and tough times."

Gordon acted like it was the first time he's won — and it was at Texas Motor Speedway. He took the checkered flag, something he's never done in his 81 previous victories, and drove around the track with it. He did burnouts. And they weren't bad — Gordon admits he's not very good at them. Yet, there he was blowing out a rear tire on a burnout in the backstretch.

A new dedication to working out has made the 37-year-old spry with what he calls a "positive mental and physical energy."

The only thing missing Sunday was wife Ingrid and 22-month-old daughter Ella. Both were home. They had been with him at this race last year, but that only compounded his frustration during a weekend that saw him finish last.

At day he struggled with the car. At night, he couldn't sleep because of Ella's constant crying. It was then that they decided the family would come only for race day to help Gordon better focus on his job.

"It was no coincidence that we had the race that we had at this time last year because it was just a miserable weekend all the way around," Gordon said.

A crying baby aside, Texas has never been easy for Gordon. Until Sunday it was one of only two tracks on the schedule Gordon had not scored a Cup win. Now, Homestead-Miami Speedway is the only track Gordon has not conquered.

The Texas track just doesn't suit Gordon and he doesn't know why even after his 17th career race at this high-banked, 1.5-mile speedway.

"It's the most challenging mile-and-a-half that we go to," he said.

After Saturday's final practice session, Gordon admitted he had "nothing to contribute" in a meeting with crew chief Steve Letarte and others to figure out how to set the car for the race.

"I said, "I don't know, I'm lost, I have no idea what to tell you to do, I don't know if we're good or we're bad," Gordon said.

When the race began, Gordon charged from his second-starting spot.

"Wow, cool!" Gordon he thought to himself.

And then five laps later, "Oops, here comes old Texas right back," Gordon said.

At one point during the race, he radioed Letarte and described the car as "evil." Wind gusts of 30 mph didn't help, pushing the cars about 3 feet off line when they struck.

Gordon persevered through all that as others faltered. Roush Fenway Racing teammates Matt Kenseth and Greg Biffle dominated the first 200 laps before pit road problems ruined their chances with less than 100 laps left. Carl Edwards also had a poor stop and went from the lead to 11th with 30 laps left, finishing 10th. Gordon ascended to the lead. He pulled away at the restart but teammate Jimmie Johnson closed late in the race.

Several minutes after the race Johnson said his right foot still tingled from pressing the accelerator so hard in trying to catch Gordon.

"There was nothing left out there," Johnson said after his runner-up finish.

Now it seems that way for Gordon's foes. He leads Johnson by 162 points. Only five drivers are within 200 points of Gordon.

Since a 13th-place finish at Daytona, Gordon has not finished worse than sixth. That wasn't good enough. Last week, after placing fourth at Martinsville, Gordon said his team needed to start winning races to prove that they're title contenders.

Now there's little doubt.

"I really believe we're just getting there," Gordon said. "I think we can even get better."

Contact Dustin Long at 373-7062 or dustin.long@news-record.com