DAYTONA BEACH — Everything seemed to come easy for Jeff Gordon, including his first Daytona 500 win. In 1997, NASCAR’s 25-year-old superstar became the youngest champion ever. A year later, fan favorite Dale Earnhardt Sr. finally picked off his only 500 victory, in his 20th attempt. In 1999, Gordon answered with a second title at the Great American Race. But by the time he captured another …