[media-credit name=”David Yeazell” align=”alignright” width=”221″]
[/media-credit]The four-time champion is gearing up for another run at the championship. His fight for the championship this year will be very difficult. Gordon made the Chase as a wild card. Wild card drivers also do not get to use their victory bonus points coming into the Chase. That places Gordon last in the Chase points. Gordon hasn’t had a great season, he has multiple issues, bad luck and has been involved in many wrecks. Gordon became a serious Chase contender when he won at Pocono in August when the race was called due to rain. That allowed Gordon to have a chance to make the Chase field after Richmond.
Gordon put himself in the perfect position going into Richmond. He needed Kyle Busch to have a bad run, which he did and for himself to run well. He did with a second place finish. Gordon is coming off a few great races and momentum going into the Chase.
The first race in the Chase is at the Chicagoland Speedway. Gordon has one victory at the track back in 2006. Since 2006, Gordon’s best finish at the track was second in 2009. Gordon has shown strength at the mile and a half’s this year and Chicago is a classic mile and a half track. Gordon should have a good run here and move up the point’s ladder.
The New Hampshire Motor Speedway is the next track they will race on in the Chase. Gordon has three victories at the track but he hasn’t won there since 1998. Gordon’s last two races at New Hampshire have produced top ten’s. Gordon isn’t the best at New Hampshire but he’ll be consistent and run close to the front.
The Monster Mile shows up next on the schedule and Gordon has four victories at the track. But Gordon hasn’t won at Dover since 2001. Gordon hasn’t scored a top ten finish at the track since 2009. Dover isn’t the easiest track to race on and Gordon has shown some struggle at the track in the past. He’ll need to have a good car that day if he wants to have some success at the track.
The wild card race of the Chase is next. Talladega. Talladega is an unpredictable race. Anything could happen and anyone could have issues. Gordon hasn’t won at the track since he swept the 2007 races but Gordon always has a fast car at Talladega.
The last few races for Gordon at the Charlotte Motor Speedway have shown some mixed results. He finished 7th in this year’s Coca Cola 600 but that was his first top ten in a race at the track in five races. Gordon has won at the track but not since 2007. Gordon could do well here but he could also have issues. Gordon will find a way to have success at any track but when your team is located five miles down the road, you want to race well and I expect Gordon to.
Another potential wild card is Kansas. The track was repaved since the spring race this season. Gordon could find success at the track because when the track first open and had new pavement, Gordon won. As the pavement began to age, Gordon’s performance at the track took a hit. Gordon’s last two finishes at the track haven’t been great but Gordon could capitalize with the new pavement at the track.
Martinsville has had a long relationship with Gordon. He has been beaten out at the track by tenths of seconds and he has also been involved in late race accidents. In the spring race at the track, Gordon was having a great run until things went wrong with a caution then Gordon was involved in a late wreck. Gordon always performs well at Martinsville and he should later in the Chase.
The Texas Motor Speedway was one of the tracks Gordon couldn’t win on until he took home his first victory at the track back in 2009. Gordon would struggle every time he went to Texas until he won. Gordon finished sixth in the spring and he should be running up front and contending for the win when we go to Texas.
A key race in the Chase is Phoenix and Jeff Gordon has had success at the track on the old surface but this spring Gordon began to figure out the new surface. Gordon finished 32nd in the first race on the new surface and he finished eighth in the second race. By the time we go to the track for the third time Gordon should have figured out the track and be running up front.
The season finale at the Homestead-Miami is one race Gordon has never won. Gordon has had a best finish of third but he has never been to victory lane. How Gordon performs in this race will be based on how the Chase goes. If Gordon is in need of a good run for a shot at the championship, he will be up front. If needs to maintain a position for the championship he will be running mid-pack. If this race doesn’t matter to Gordon because he doesn’t have a shot at the championship he will be looking for his first win at the track.
Jeff Gordon is going after his fifth Sprint Cup Championship. He is looking to tie his teammate Jimmie Johnson for winning the most championships at Hendrick Motorsports. Gordon is bringing experience into this year’s Chase and he is looking to become the top driver in NASCAR once again.
