CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The ultimate way to cap off Jeff Gordon’s iconic NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career is still within reach.
As he prepares to embark on the Eliminator Round of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, the driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet SS has a fifth championship within reach.
“I'm excited. I think a lot of people didn't count on us to do this or expect it,” he said of staying alive in the Chase. “I think for us, we're carrying just a lot of confidence and momentum and pride right now, knowing that we've had to grind it out just to get ourselves in the Chase. That grind and that fight that we have in us is what we've been putting out there these last six weeks that have gotten us to this round.
“Now we get to continue that fight and grind, but we get to go do it at some tracks where we legitimately have a shot at competing for wins.”
It starts this Sunday at Martinsville Speedway, where Gordon leads all active drivers in pole positions, top-five finishes, top-10s, laps led, average start and average finish. He is also tied for the most Martinsville wins among active drivers with Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson at eight victories apiece.
With that confidence-inspiring track kicking off the round, Gordon’s sights are set on racing for a championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
“Absolutely -- there's not one of these eight teams and drivers in this round that don't feel like they can do it,” he said. “We've eliminated eight. When you get down to this point, I think that everybody feels like, ‘Hey, this is our year, this is our moment, and we have the team and the drive to do it.’”
To this point in the season, Gordon has just four top-five finishes to go with his 17 top-10s. A trip to Victory Lane continues to elude him. But he said those stats have proven a benefit now that the Chase is in full swing.
“I think back of how frustrating it was earlier in the year when we were taking a 10th-place car and finishing 15th with it. What we've been doing lately is taking maybe what could have been a 15th and turning it into an eighth or a 10th,” he said. “We actually bonded and grew from it. That's why we're one of the strongest teams that exists out there.”
Gordon said he hasn’t allowed himself to imagine what it would feel like to close out his storied career with one final championship – “There’s too much racing left,” – but he acknowledged that he can’t help but smile that the No. 24 team has stayed alive in the Chase longer than many would have predicted.
And with just the Eliminator Round and the finale at Homestead remaining before Gordon’s last full-time Sprint Cup season wraps up, the No. 24 team has a singular focus.
“I think everyone at Hendrick (Motorsports) and certainly everyone on the (No.) 24 team is aware that these are my final four races,” he said. “I would say when I think of (No. 24 team crew chief) Alan (Gustafson), our conversations, there's no doubt that it's on his mind that he wants this to be special not only for his own accomplishments and the team's, but for me. Knowing we have four more chances to work together, I think the cool thing we have is I believe he's the best crew chief out there, and I believe he thinks I'm the best driver he could have out there.
“The fact that we get to do that, what we do every weekend, four more times, we want to make the most of it.”