Team DuPont looking for perfection at Phoenix

AVONDALE, Ariz. (Nov. 10, 2009) – Only two races remain in the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season, but according to Jeff Gordon, hundreds of close calls also remain. Gordon finished 13th last weekend at Texas Motor Speedway and gained 80 points on the lead after points leader Jimmie Johnson was involved in an early accident. Gordon remains third in the standings and 112 points behind first place heading into Sunday’s 312-mile event at Phoenix International Raceway. First and foremost on Gordon’s mind is avoiding the many pitfalls that can occur during a race weekend. “A lot can happen in these final two races,” said Gordon, driver of the No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet. “There are hundreds of moments that you have as a team every single weekend that maybe don’t materialize or that don’t get seen by the public or even the media. But we see it. There are close calls all the time, and it can happen at any time. ”I get through every race and think, ‘Whew. We survived this moment or that moment.’” Gordon has fared well at the Arizona track, collecting one win, three pole positions, eight top-five finishes and 15 top-10s in 21 NASCAR Sprint Cup starts at the one-mile venue. There have been highs at the track including his first win at Phoenix in 2007, and there have been lows for the No. 24 team including a 25th-place finish in April after losing a lap due to a pit road penalty. This Sunday, Gordon and Team DuPont are in search of another peak performance in The Valley of the Sun. “Phoenix has certainly been on our radar because it’s a track that’s been hit or miss for us,” said the four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion. “I’m a little disappointed in how we performed earlier this year, and we certainly need to improve on that this weekend. “A lot still has to happen if we are going to realistically battle for the championship in the season finale. But we need to make sure we do everything in our control to secure as many points as possible this weekend.”