NASCAR Cup
Phoenix II: Jeff Gordon preview
TEAM DUPONT EYEING PHOENIX REDEMPTION AVONDALE, Ariz. (November 9, 2010) - Despite posting 17 top-10 finishes in 23 starts, Phoenix International Raceway (PIR) has always been a 'hit or miss' track for Jeff Gordon and the No. 24 DuPont team. This ...
Edited: Nov 10, 2010, 3:48 AM
Copy link
Share on Viber
TEAM DUPONT EYEING PHOENIX REDEMPTION
AVONDALE, Ariz. (November 9, 2010) - Despite posting 17 top-10 finishes in 23 starts, Phoenix International Raceway (PIR) has always been a 'hit or miss' track for Jeff Gordon and the No. 24 DuPont team. This Sunday in the Kobalt Tools 500, the four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion plans redemption for a near-miss here earlier this year.
In the 600-kilometer spring PIR event, a two-tire pit stop by the No. 24 crew allowed Gordon to win the race off pit road and lead the field into the final green-white- checkered finish. He spun the tires on the restart, though, and trailed Ryan Newman across the finish line.
"We had a good car during that event, and I think we were sitting third before that last caution came out," said Gordon, who is now sixth in the NASCAR Sprint Cup point standings and 331behind the leader. "My crew chief Steve Letarte made a great call for two tires during the caution to give us the lead, but I spun the tires on the restart. I wasn't too worried about it, but then I saw Ryan shoot ahead and I knew I was in trouble."
Along with 17 top-10's, Gordon has one win (2007), three poles and nine top- fives at the one-mile track, and compromise may allow the 82-time winner to pad those statistics.
"I love the track even though it's a very challenging one," said Gordon. "Both ends of the race track are complete opposites and it's impossible to get both ends to work perfectly.
"I like that challenge. I've driven on the track since I was like 18 years old, so I always look forward to coming here because it's a lot of fun to drive." Gordon will enter Sunday's 500-kilometer battle with the same team but a different group of individuals pitting the car. For the final two races of the 2010 season, Gordon's 'normal' No. 24 over-the-wall crew will pit the No. 48 Chevrolet driven by Jimmie Johnson while the No. 48 crew will pit Gordon's Impala.
"The guys that will pit the No. 24 car in Phoenix have won six races this year and are a very talented group," Letarte said. "We're going to Phoenix trying to win the event."
"We've always had a one-team, two-car philosophy with the 24 and 48 cars," Gordon added. "The shop personnel work on both cars in the shop, and the crew will lend another HMS team a hand if needed at the track.
"We want to do everything possible to bring another championship trophy back to Hendrick Motorsports. But I also plan to do everything possible to get another Phoenix trophy for this DuPont team."
-source: pprp
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Texas II: Kevin Harvick race report
Next article Andy Slankard - Ford interview 2010-11-09
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Jimmie Johnson
Jimmie Johnson on the NASCAR business world: "It's a war"
NASCAR Cup
NASCAR Cup
Jimmie Johnson on the NASCAR business world: "It's a war"
Jimmie Johnson explains why the time was right for Legacy to add a third car full time
NASCAR Cup
NASCAR Cup
Jimmie Johnson explains why the time was right for Legacy to add a third car full time
Why the 2027 Daytona 500 is the end of a road for Jimmie Johnson
NASCAR Cup
NASCAR Cup
Daytona 500
Why the 2027 Daytona 500 is the end of a road for Jimmie Johnson
More from
Hendrick Motorsports
Official race results: NASCAR Cup Talladega Chase race
NASCAR Cup
NASCAR Cup
Talladega II
5 h
Official race results: NASCAR Cup Talladega Chase race
Kyle Larson wins wild Talladega NASCAR Cup race after charging from 11th on final lap
NASCAR Cup
NASCAR Cup
Talladega II
6 h
Kyle Larson wins wild Talladega NASCAR Cup race after charging from 11th on final lap
Winners and losers from a Chase-altering NASCAR Cup race at Phoenix
NASCAR Cup
NASCAR Cup
Phoenix II
Winners and losers from a Chase-altering NASCAR Cup race at Phoenix
Latest news
Yellow line debate divides NASCAR fans after Talladega Cup finish
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup
Talladega II
10 min
Yellow line debate divides NASCAR fans after Talladega Cup finish
Winners and losers from F1's United States Grand Prix
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
United States GP
2 h
Winners and losers from F1's United States Grand Prix
Kyle Larson all but clinches NASCAR championship with Dega win
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup
Talladega II
2 h
Kyle Larson all but clinches NASCAR championship with Dega win
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. explains why he lost Talladega Cup race
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup
Talladega II
3 h
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. explains why he lost Talladega Cup race
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe