Swan Song – Can Jeff Gordon Win Title In Final Season?

The regular season

To be clear, Jeff Gordon is a threat to win on any weekend, at any track.  Other than Kentucky, he has won at every track currently on the schedule,  and some that are not on the schedule anymore.  While it is mathematically possible to have more than 16 winners in the first 26 races, and therefore have points come into play to determine who makes the Chase and who doesn’t, in reality it probably won’t happen.  Win and you’re going to be in.  So then, for the sake of argument, let’s assume that a win will secure one’s berth in the Chase.  What tracks have historically given Jeff the best chances at winning?  I’ll submit five:

"1.  Martinsville:  With eight wins and never a DNF, Martinsville has to be among the best opportunities for Jeff to score a win.  This track also has bittersweet memories for Hendrick Motorsports in general, and there would be nothing more fitting than to allow this track the honor of securing Jeff’s 2015 Chase berth. 2.  Daytona:  Gordon is one of those drivers who just “gets it” when it comes to restrictor-plate racing.  You need to have patience and preserve your equipment to survive the day and be in a position to win.  You have to have exceptional horsepower and near-perfect chassis performance.  You have to have friends who will help you (don’t you just think he might have a few this year) draft and pass.  Gordon has all of these.  Yes, you also need some luck.  Fortunately for Gordon, he’ll have two swings at a Daytona trophy before this year’s Chase. 3.  Indianapolis:  Born in nearby Pittsboro, Indiana, winning the inaugural Brickyard 400 in 1994 and scoring a record-breaking fifth Indy win last year have certainly made Gordon Indiana’s favorite son, with all due respect to Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman.  His winning percentage of .240 here is among the highest of any driver at any track.  Consider him a threat. 4.  Darlington:  Anyone who can win seven times on the track “too tough to tame” is doing something right there.  Gordon’s car control skills learned from his days in open-wheeled midget and sprint cars adapt well to the traditional high line necessary to navigate the egg-shaped oval next to Ramsey’s millpond.  With the return of the traditional Labor Day Southern 500 this year, would there be a better story just two weeks before the Chase begins? 5.  Talladega:  For many of the same reasons listed for why Daytona is a friendly track for him, Gordon’s six wins at Talladega make him better than even money anytime the boys visit the shrine located between Choccolocco Creek and Interstate 20."

Five tracks.  Six of Gordon’s best races among them leading up to the 2015 Chase.  Assuming he’s in, let’s now see how he might approach the all-important qualifying rounds to have a shot at the next-to-last Sprint Cup trophy which will ever be awarded.