Gordon brings high expectations to Eliminator Round

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- With four races left, Jeff Gordon is tied with seven other competitors with a championship on the line.

The Eliminator Round of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup kicked off Tuesday afternoon with a media day -- including a fan Q&A session hosted by ESPN's Lindsay Czarniak -- at the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

And while Gordon enjoyed the time interacting with the fans, he can't wait for the racing to begin.

"Even before we got ourselves into the Chase, I thought that if we could make it past the second round and get into this round with Martinsville (Speedway), Texas (Motor Speedway) and Phoenix (International Raceway), that this was a round that we could really be competitive in, be a real threat for wins and get ourselves to Homestead," he said. "So yeah, I'm very excited. I can't wait to get to Martinsville."

That opener at Martinsville comes this Sunday, and Gordon leads all active drivers at the track in pole positions, top-five finishes, top-10s, laps led and best average start. He is also tied for the most wins at the paperclip oval among active drivers with teammate Jimmie Johnson.

"It's a track that I love," Gordon said. "Our team does so well there and I have confidence in it. We had a good test there also earlier this year that I feel like only gives us added confidence because of the information we were able to gain from that."

Gordon said the fact that Hendrick Motorsports chose Martinsville -- and the third track in the Eliminator Round, Phoenix -- for testing locations shows the confidence that the organization has in its drivers' championship credentials.

As the only remaining Hendrick Motorsports driver in the Chase, the pilot of the No. 24 Chevrolet SS said he will look to do everything he can to keep the organization's championship hopes alive.

"It's obvious that there's a lot of disappointment that not all four teams made it to this round," Gordon said. "But at the same time, we're going to try to do the best we can representing Hendrick Motorsports with the 24 team. We've had an excellent year, and I know that my teammates and I are going to be working together to do everything we can to continue to win races as well as get that championship for that 24 car."

For a photo gallery from Tuesday's Eliminator Round Media Day, click here.