Swan Song – Can Jeff Gordon Win Title In Final Season?
By Mike Hutton
USA Today Sports
The Challenger Round – Goal: Survive and move on
Chicagoland Speedway: With more DNF’s than wins at Chicago, but an impressive top-10 finishing percentage of .643, Gordon needs to “first do no harm” here. A top 10 finish is probable and what the team will need to do to calm any nerves and leave town with a respectable showing.
New Hampshire Motor Speedway: Gordon has not won at Loudon since 1998, and finished 26th twice there last year. He’ll certainly need to improve upon that this year. New Hampshire’s very flat corners will be the key here — the winner will need to be good from the center on off. Recommendation? Use the July race as a test session and remember that another famous flat track, Indianapolis, is one of his best. Get out of here with another Top 10 finish.
Dover International Speedway: Gordon will want to see his crew chief Alan Gustafson be on very friendly terms with teammate Jimmie Johnson’s crew chief Chad Knaus on October 4. Johnson and Knaus own Dover, and there’s got to be a notebook or two that would be good reading over a dinner at Sambo’s. A top 5 finish needs to be the goal on Dover’s high-banked, concrete surface so that Miles the Monster sends Gordon into the next round.