How many times have sports fans seen a legend retire as a champion? In tennis, Pete Sampras called it a career after winning the 2002 U.S. Open for his 14th major title, then a record. In basketball, David Robinson went out as the champion center with the 2003 San Antonio Spurs. In football, Jerome Bettis, Michael Strahan, and Ray Lewis have all retired in the last decade with the opportunity to hoist the Lombardi Trophy in their swan songs.

On Sunday, one of auto racing’s legends can join that club, as Jeff Gordon will compete for the 2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup title at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Even for those who aren’t racing aficionados, they know who #24 is and the place he holds in modern American sport.

Gordon’s farewell year started perhaps the best way possible, when he won the pole at February’s Daytona 500. Although he didn’t, one had to wonder if the stars would align for a fairytale season. Then came the pre-Chase races, and while other drivers collected wins, including Hendrick Motorsports teammates Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jimmie Johnson, Gordon failed to pick up a checkered flag. As it would turn out, #24 was one of five drivers who would make the Chase solely on points, and it was also on points how he qualified for the Contender & Eliminator rounds.

Then came the race at Martinsville, where Gordon was second for much of the day to Joey Logano, who was riding a hot streak having swept the Contender round races. That all came to an end with less than 50 laps to go when Matt Kenseth, in an act of revenge from Kansas two weeks prior, took Logano out of the race; Gordon would hold off a late charge from Jamie McMurray to win and book a spot in Homestead.

Now it’s come down to one race, as Gordon faces three other drivers for the 2015 title. It would be his fifth Sprint Cup championship, and first since 2001. Can he complete the storybook ending?