Before the Texas race, Jeff Gordon's crew chief Steve Letarte told me that the No. 24 team would feel like they won if they got top-10 finish. Although they got a little off at the wrong time during the day, they clearly exceeded that goal by finishing in the top five.
If nothing else, it was a moral victory at a track where Gordon has never won a race. He heads to Phoenix, another track where he's never won a Cup race, but he and his team have the same goal. Letarte told me that if his team can finish in the top five from now until Richmond in September, they're going to put themselves in a pretty good position to win the championship.
They're going to try to win when they can, but they're going to get as many points as possible before the Chase for the Nextel Cup starts. That's their main focus. If they could have gotten the win at Martinsville, they would be only 10 points behind Jimmie Johnson at the start of the Chase instead of 30 points behind him as Johnson has three wins and 10 bonus points for each win. If the Chase were to start today, Gordon would be behind Johnson, Jeff Burton, Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth, instead of leading the points because those drivers have bonus points for wins. Daytona 500 winner Kevin Harvick wouldn't make the Chase if it started today because he's 14th in points
If nothing else, it was a moral victory at a track where Gordon has never won a race. He heads to Phoenix, another track where he's never won a Cup race, but he and his team have the same goal. Letarte told me that if his team can finish in the top five from now until Richmond in September, they're going to put themselves in a pretty good position to win the championship.
They're going to try to win when they can, but they're going to get as many points as possible before the Chase for the Nextel Cup starts. That's their main focus. If they could have gotten the win at Martinsville, they would be only 10 points behind Jimmie Johnson at the start of the Chase instead of 30 points behind him as Johnson has three wins and 10 bonus points for each win. If the Chase were to start today, Gordon would be behind Johnson, Jeff Burton, Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth, instead of leading the points because those drivers have bonus points for wins. Daytona 500 winner Kevin Harvick wouldn't make the Chase if it started today because he's 14th in points
No Bucky just my driver.