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If the NASCAR Sprint Cup Chase format didn't exist, Jeff Gordon would have six Championships. (Photo: Jerry Markland) ยป More Photos
HOPING FOR IMPROVEMENT Jeff Gordon won last fall’s NASCAR Sprint Cup points race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, but was a non-factor in Sprint All-Star Race XXIV and has not run especially well at 1.5-mile tracks this season. Despite that, his crew chief Steve Letarte is cautiously optimistic about Gordon’s chances in the Coca-Cola 600. “We definitely weren’t happy with how we ran at Texas, so we tested a lot this month,” said Letarte. “You can test all you want, but the best test is race conditions. And we got to experience that last weekend. … While we didn’t have the result we would have liked in the All-Star race, we definitely learned a lot. And this weekend is going to be another learning experience. This is our first race with the Chevrolet Impala SS for 600 miles. We just need to make sure we’re around for the end with hopefully a good finish.”
BACK HOME IN INDIANA Hoosier native Tony Stewart visited Indianapolis Motor Speedway earlier this month to follow practice for Sunday’s Indianapolis 500. Now that the IndyCar Series and the former Champ Car World Series have reunited, Stewart said he could tell the competition has improved. “It’s better,” said Stewart. “Just the fact that there are more cars available is a better situation. Bump Day was truly Bump Day again, and that’s a good thing.”
More importantly, Stewart said, now that the field is full, the prestige of winning the Indy 500 is back. “I think everybody’s
IT STILL COUNTS Mike Skinner, who won a heat race prior to the running of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star race in 1999, said AJ Allmendinger’s victory in last Sunday’s Sprint Showdown shouldn’t be dismissed just because it wasn’t a points race. “It’s still a Sprint Cup race. It doesn’t matter if it pays points or not. You still had to race some really good guys,” said Skinner, who earlier this year spent five subbing for Allmendinger in the No. 84 Red Bull Racing Toyota and tutoring the youngster as well.
“The thing that impressed me the most about that win was his maturity, where Ricky (Vickers, crew chief) put it on him if they wanted to pit or stay out,” Skinner said. “The kid made the choice to
stay out, knowing his car wasn’t perfect but clean air was very important. That showed a lot of maturity.”
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