Jeff Gordon has four DNFs and six finishes of 30th or worse in the past nine races. Credit: Autostock

Bad brakes dash top-five for Gordon at Loudon

LOUDON, N.H. -- After a half-hour spent behind closed doors debriefing, decompressing, disbelieving, Jeff Gordon emerged from the No. 24 transporter Sunday evening with a look on his face that suggested part amusement, part bewilderment.

The apple was right there, dangling before him. But just as he reached out to grab it, it was snatched from his grasp in the form of brake failure.

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Gordon, needing a quality finish to improve his position in the Race for the Chase, was running fifth on Lap 284 of 300 when teammate Kyle Busch got together with Greg Biffle.

Seeing an opportunity, Gordon dove the DuPont Chevrolet deep into the corner. But when he pushed the brake pedal, it went all the way to the floor.

Forced to preserve brakes the rest of the way, he hobbled home 25th.

"It's so ridiculous that it's beyond frustrating," Gordon said of his luck. "You almost laugh at it at the end of the day."

Gordon was forced to pump the brakes all day long, leading him to believe they were overheating from the get-go.

"It's disappointing. I wasn't expecting to have brake problems," Gordon said. "We were doing exactly what we needed to do: ran up front, had a competitive car, good pit stops and were fighting for a top-five. That's what we came here to do.

"That was a long run there at the end, and we were running really strong behind cars and not getting a lot of air to the brakes. Crazy ... crazy things keep happening, one after another."

Gordon's year started with a flourish, as he out-sprinted Kurt Busch and Dale Earnhardt Jr. to the checkers in the Daytona 500. He went on to earn subsequent victories at Martinsville and Talladega, as well.

But following a runner-up finish at Darlington, Gordon's fortunes soured considerably. In the past nine races, he has suffered four DNFs and six finishes of 30th or worse, including a 33rd at Sears Point while driving what may have been the best car in the race.

"I don't know. I don't know what's going on," Gordon said. "I've had a lot of good luck over the years, so I can't complain too much. I've been very fortunate throughout many years.

"It happens, and it's happening to us right now. I can't say it can't get any worse, because it seems like it does. We'll just keep fighting and focusing on top-fives and wins."

With seven qualification races left before the Chase begins, Gordon is on the outside looking in; 15th in points and 120 points outside the top-10.

His thoughts?

"I don't even give a ... I don't even care about that," Gordon said of the Chase. "It doesn't matter when you can't even finish in the top 25. We know that we've got a lot of other things higher on that priority list than that right now.

"Until you start getting top-fives on a consistent basis you don't belong there anyway."