NASCAR Sprint-Cup Series
  • Peg It on GarageMonkey
CUP: Gordon – Championship Run Intense
Jeff Gordon says 48 team has edge but Keselowski is strong…
Mike Hembree  |  Posted November 03, 2012   Fort Worth, TX
Jeff Gordon is a four-time Sprint Cup Series champion. (Photo: Getty Images)
Jeff Gordon has been in championship hunts and has won four of them, so he knows the landscape.

“You know, it's intense,” he said. “Every practice lap, every lap in the race, every position, every moment is intense. You know that there is a lot riding on everything that you do. As a team you have to come together, and step up.

“It's tough. It's intense, and exciting, as well. All at the same time. I'm just anxious to see how these next couple of weeks go because I think we all want to see a great battle come down to the final race at Homestead.”

Gordon has a stake in this year’s race, of course, with Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson battling Brad Keselowski at the top of the standings. Johnson leads by two entering Sunday’s AAA Texas 500.

“You always want to be leading,” Gordon said. “I think you’d rather be leading if you’re the No. 48 because they’ve won it five times. So, by being up front, they don’t sit there and protect and worry about what we have to do to win this championship. They just go out there and perform, focus, and do their jobs.

“But when you’re new to it and you’ve never won a championship, being out front sometimes can get you off your game. So I think it’s better for Brad to be chasing and I think the 48, as long as they’re in reach, they’re comfortable and have a great shot at it.”

Although many observers favor the veteran Johnson over the newbie, Gordon said a 48 team championship is far from a given.

“Oh, it’s definitely a question,” he said. “And Brad has put up a good fight. If you’re putting money down on it, it’s hard to go against that 48 team. They’re just so rock-solid at so many different tracks. They’ve won five championships, so it’s not like they’re nervous. They’re pretty relaxed and in a comfort zone, and it’s really nothing to lose. They’ve won five championships and they’re in great position.

“But, for Brad going for it basically for the first time – you know what, they’ve done a great job. So, it’s not just a hands-down; one’s got it in the bag.

“Anything can happen at any time. There’s just no way to predict it. If you just look at flat-out speed and performance, then I would give it to the 48. But that’s not always the case.”

Gordon said Keselowski’s strong sixth-place finish – from a starting position of 32nd – at Martinsville last week made noise despite the fact that Johnson won the race.

“To come out of there with a sixth-place finish for Brad at Martinsville the way his day was going, that was actually a very positive result for them that I think they actually, even though the 48 won, they carried a little bit of momentum themselves out of there,” he said. “So, I’d kind of call it even, really.”

Mike Hembree is NASCAR Editor for SPEED.com and has been covering motorsports for 30 years. He is a six-time winner of the National Motorsports Press Association Writer of the Year Award.
mike.hembree's avatar

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mike Hembree

MORE BY THIS AUTHOR
Advertising | Jobs | Feedback | FAQ | Terms of Use | NEW Privacy Policy | Ad Choices | Site Map
Fox Sports | FUEL TV | FX Network | National Geographic | IGN | AskMen
The Motor Sports Authority, SPEED and associated logos are registered trademarks of Speed Channel Inc.
All Rights Reserved © Speed Channel, Inc. 2013

All external links will open in a new browser window. SPEED.com does not endorse external sites.