Gordon won't mind if he gets lucky again at Pocono
We've all heard the saying: Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good. We all know Jeff Gordon is good. At Pocono this past June, he also was lucky.
With Mother Nature threatening the distance of the Pocono 500, Jeff Gordon began to use pit strategy at the race's midpoint when it became official. And indeed, rain brought a premature end to the 200-lap event and it was Jeff Gordon who was in front when the race was called after Lap 106.
"We had a good car here last time, but a little bit of luck never hurts," Jeff Gordon said. "We pitted off sequence knowing everybody else would have to stop for fuel before the halfway mark. Luckily, the rain came when it did because it was going to be tough to hold off Ryan [Newman]."
Another victory Sunday in the Pennsylvania 500 (1 p.m. ET, ESPN) would make Jeff Gordon the seventh driver to sweep the season series at Pocono Raceway. The forecast calls for partly sunny skies throughout the weekend with only a threat of thundershowers Friday night. (CNN Weatherexternal link)
Newman's runner-up finish was his second in as many weeks and third top-five in the past four races. He hasn't had a top-five since, and an early crash last week at Indianapolis resulted in a 42nd-place finish.
Newman, still on the outside looking in at the Chase, lost a spot in the standings but is still within reach only 59 points out of 12th place.
"It seems like every time we get close to breaking into the top 12 we have a problem on the track that we can't control that stalls our momentum. We were very fortunate at Indy to have only lost a little ground to the 12th-place driver," said Newman, who hasn't won since the first Chase race of 2005.
"After the success we had at Pocono in June, I think everyone on this team is looking forward to going back there and having the same kind of success ... this time, I'll try to make the pass for first a little earlier, though."
While they finished 1-2 in June, their places in the point standings make a world of difference for Jeff Gordon and Newman. Leader Jeff Gordon is trying to rack up bonus points heading into the Chase whereas 14th-place Newman is just trying to make the cut.
Although Jeff Gordon hasn't won a race since Pocono, his lead in the standings has increased to 371 points on his closest pursuer. With 10-point bonuses awarded for each race victory under the Chase's new "seeding" format, Jeff Gordon looks to distance himself from the other 11 competitors.
"We've been consistent this year and we want that to continue, but it's good to know we have that buffer if needed," Jeff Gordon said. "That cushion also allows us to gamble and go after wins in these final six races before the Chase starts. Any one of the 12 drivers can win the championship with the Chase format.
"Every point is crucial during the final 10 races, so any bonus points you get before the Chase begins is a huge benefit. And it's all about the bonus points for us right now, so we can be risky. We can afford to lose some points by taking bigger risks and possibly getting those bonus points. With wins come momentum."
Newman is returning to Pocono with the same chassis that earned him the Bud Pole in June and had him looking to pass Jeff Gordon as the checkered flag flew. Jeff Gordon, however, will race the car he drove to a third-place finish last week at Indy.
"Hopefully, it'll be even better," Jeff Gordon said. "It's certainly a gamble we can afford to take."
And Jeff Gordon knows how to gamble at Pocono ... and get lucky.
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