Jeff Gordon retook the points lead he lost at Loudon. Credit: Autostock

Quotebook: Chase for the Nextel Cup drivers

DOVER, Del. -- Comments after Dover from drivers that are in the Chase for the Nextel Cup:

1. Jeff Gordon, 5,371 points

Finished third and led one lap in Sunday's race to take the points lead.

"We started off great, started driing at the front, and then the next couple of runs we were just way off and really struggling. I was pretty happy to stay on the lead lap and be able to make some adjustments, and the guys in the pits did a great job for us. It was a great fight for us.

"I think what you're seeing happen is at this point in the season, everybody's in their groove. Everybody's got their stuff together.

"I would think just about every weekend, other than a couple of surprises that'll be thrown in there, you're going to see the guys in the top 10 battling for those top 10 spots."

2. Kurt Busch, minus-1

Finished fifth and led 12 laps.

"It was a good points day, but we didn't have enough on our program to compete for the win. It just seemed like our car wouldn'r run on the long,long run. We could go on the short run for a certain distance, but the car just didn't adjust well today.

"It was a good day for us to finish where we did and be second in points."

3. Dale Eanrhardt Jr., minus-18

Started 16th, battled to a ninth-place finish.

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"We had a really good racecar today, and it just went to junk on the last two sets of tires. We made no other changes, and it just became a totally different car. Usually if the car starts off loose (on new tires), it will gradually tighten up as the air pressures change. But, at the end, there were no moments where it was even close to handling the way it had been during the first half of the race.

"It was runnin' good, and then it was so rough, with the way we sit in these seats, it almost beat the armpits offa me."

"Ninth? We finished ninth? Well, I'll take that. It keeps us close in the chase and I think it's going to take a steady run of top-10s and top-fives to win this thing. It was a frustrating way to finish the day, but we'll be OK..."

4. Jimmie Johnson, minus-57

Ran in the top 10 for most of the early going. was penalized for speeding coming off of pit road, still managed a 10th-place finish.

"We got hit by something today that I don't think is fair," Johnson said. "I don't think we were speeding. I don't think it was right. But we don't any computer system in place to back it up."

5. Mark Martin, minus-57

Winner of the Dover spring race, Martin finished second Sunday.

"We fought really hard for that one. I thought the race was on that last restart, but, boy, I found out what the 12 really had.

"About the only way I'd consider retiring is if I finished 40th in the points. It's a good thing to be challenging for the win. We have some things to sort out over the next four to six weeks, but retirement's not what I'm sorting out."

6. Elliott Sadler, minus-96

Was running in the top 10 most of the day, but was penalized on his final pit stop and finished 20th.

"I was just hauling butt to get to pit road and it was slicker than I thought. I knew if I hit the brakes I was gonna spin out and do what Matt Kenseth did, so I figured on taking the penalty and not wrecking the car.

"Yeah, we're like 100 points out. I want to get through Talladega and then we'll start talking about it because if we have problems at Talladega, we'll be way too far out."

7. Matt Kenseth, minus-99

Wrecked entering pit road, finished 32nd.

"I got it slowed down OK, I thought, and when I got on the apron it looked clean but it was real slick from (Kasey Kahne) blowing up earlier and I just lost control of it.

"It was a dumb mistake."

8. Ryan Newman, minus-107

Won Sunday's race by more than seven seconds, leading 325 of 400 laps.

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"It felt good to get a chance to come here and run as good as we did. Our car was awesome. We were able to fight our way through traffic quite a few times.

"It's a big step in the right direction. We can't finish 33rd and then first and then 33rd again. We've got to keep the top-fives going. If we can finish in the top five in these last nine races, which was a good start today, then I can pretty much guarantee us a championship."

9. Tony Stewart, minus-135

Struggled with an ill-handling racecar, but fought to finish sixth.

"It could have been worse because the car was much worse all day. But the guys kept working on it and we kept battling back and we finished sixth.

(On whether a sixth-place finish can be considered a big gain after last weekend's disappointment) "If you say so."

(On what he would like to do right now) "Kicking Robby Gordon's butt to be honest. It's racing. We'll get' em back next week."

10. Jeremy Mayfield, minus-157

Started from the Bud Pole, finished seventh without leading a single lap.

"We had a good car but had to battle all day. I lost radio contact with the crew early on the race. I couldn't tell them what the car was doing.

After we made a chassis adjustment, we were right back running times with the leader.

"We'll take it and look to get everything together next week. We know if we dig down, we can and will get the job done."