The last time Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet) came to Atlanta Motor Speedway second in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series standings was 2001 the year he won his fourth championship.
Heading into this week’s KOBALT Tools 500, Gordon hasn’t been overly confident, but he has been getting the job done.
“It is a great start to the season. †Gordon said. “I feel like we are a much different team than we were last year at this time and even the team we had in 2005. I am excited about what we have in store for ourselves.
“We are bringing great race cars, having a lot of fun no matter where we start in the field. (Crew chief) Steve Letarte really stepped up as a leader. It is making it a lot of fun for me as a driver. â€
Gordon started the season finishing in 10th in the Daytona 500, avoiding several accidents that gobbled many of his competitors.
Then he carried his momentum over to California Speedway arriving eighth in the standings where he proved his momentum wasn’t just a fluke, by starting on the pole. Gordon finished second there moving him to third in the standings, just behind two other experienced drivers Mark Martin (No. 1 U. S. Army Chevrolet) and Jeff Burton (No. 31 Cingular Wireless Chevrolet) respectively.
The No. 24 team then packed up the hauler for Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and the old saying, “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas, †was not the case for Gordon and his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s/KOBALT Chevrolet). Gordon qualified 36th and Johnson 23rd, but both went on to have exceptional performances. Gordon posted a second-place finish this past Sunday at Las Vegas.
Gordon now heads to Atlanta, where he has won four times. If he snares a fifth Atlanta win this weekend, he’ll tie Dale Earnhardt for sixth place in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup all-time win list with 76.
“I love Atlanta. †Gordon said. “It is one of my very favorite tracks we go to right now. I love the surface there, everything about it. It has multiple grooves and we have run really good there the last couple of races. I am looking forward to going back there. â€
Keys To Victory:
Atlanta Motor Speedway’s keys to succeed this Sunday:
• Racing groove will be wide – Atlanta typically provides drivers with a wide racing groove to operate on. Those who take advantage of it best will have the most success.
• Maintain good balance – It’s important to keep the car balanced from start to finish.
• Track Grip – It’s the time of year that weather could be a factor. A cool afternoon could result in more grip on the race track; a warm day could lessen the amount of grip.
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