Gordon: 'That's the way you want to get this thing started'

JOILET, Ill. -- Jeff Gordon wanted the win.

But the driver of the No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet SS said he's "not going to complain too much" with a runner-up finish at Chicagoland Speedway to start the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

"I think this is a great time for us to come out of here really solid and with a great second-place finish," Gordon said. "We've got to get a little bit better. No doubt about it."

On his Chase Across North America tour stop in Toronto, Gordon told the media that he would be happy with nine straight second-place finishes if it meant he got to race for a championship at Homestead at the end of the season.

"Eight more and I’ll be really happy," he laughed.

On Sunday, Gordon hung around the top 10 and even top five for the majority of the race, noting that he was able to take four tires on pit road more often than the team expected.

Near the end, he believed "it might be a third-place day for us" before one final restart allowed him another chance to race for second.

"I thought it was a great team effort," Gordon said. "Great pit stops. Great calls. Great adjustments. We just hung in there."

"That’s the way you want to get this thing started."