Jeff Gordon is now 12th in the Nextel Cup Series standings. Credit: Autostock

Gordon's momentum halted by Daytona woes

Lack of drafting partners, late wreck ended 24 team's night early

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Jeff Gordon won at Sonoma and took three steps forward. He crashed at Daytona and took four steps back.

Gordon crashed late in the Pepsi 400 and wound up 40th, dropping him to a disappointing 12th in the standings. It was an enraging turn of events for Gordon, who appeared headed for a sure top-five after leading 27 laps.

Credit: Autostock

Official Results Pepsi 400 Pos. Driver Make 1. T. Stewart Chevrolet 2. Ky. Busch Chevrolet 3. Ku. Busch Dodge 4. B. Said Ford 5. E. Sadler Ford 6. M. Kenseth Ford 7. C. Mears Dodge 8. J. McMurray Ford 9. K. Harvick Chevrolet 10. C. Bowyer Chevrolet • Complete results, click here • Official standings, click here Victory LaneTony Stewart celebrates after winning the Pepsi 400! Final lapsThe Pepsi 400 at Daytona ends in a three-lap shootout Lowe's turns highJimmie Johnson gets loose and collects Bobby Labonte Late-race wreckJ. Gordon gets the worst of a late-race pileup at Daytona Sign up for TrackPass now BUY THE NEXTEL i836

After the crash at Daytona, Gordon was saddled with his whopping fourth DNF of the year. That is more DNFs than anyone else in the top 25 in points.

"We got cut short by guys who were being stupid," said Gordon.

J.J. Yeley and Greg Biffle tangled on the backstretch with six laps to go, and Gordon was caught on the outside of the fray. His Chevrolet's right side was slammed into fence, ending his night.

"It was getting dicey and crazy," said Gordon. "The No. 18 [Yeley] was backing up through the middle and I got to the outside and the No. 16 [Biffle] was going around him and there were so many guys that were getting out of control.

"The guys were getting a little bit out of control there those last few laps and that's usually what happens when guys drive like that."

Gordon was already on the Chase for the Nextel Cup bubble even after winning at Sonoma, but his crash at Daytona cost him major ground in the points.

And Gordon knew it.

"I want to badmouth every one of them but I'm not going to," said Gordon. "I guess if I don't have anything nice to say, I shouldn't say anything at all.

"I don't know if we had a shot at [winner] Tony [Stewart], but we definitely had a shot at the top three or four."

In three restrictor-plate races this season, Gordon doesn't have a top-10 even though his team, Hendrick Motorsports, has arguably the best overall restrictor plate package.

Gordon says part of his restrictor-plate struggles are tied to the fact that he doesn't get any drafting help.

"I definitely am going to have to go make some friends in the garage," said Gordon. "I think me and [Dale Earnhardt Jr.] -- neither one of us have any friends out there because there was nobody who seemed to want to work with us. That is part of restrictor-plate racing."

Gordon's team has suffered from maddening inconsistency on the high-banked downforce tracks this season, which made his late-race crash at Daytona all the more frustrating. Gordon knows he must rebound with a strong performance next week at Chicagoland, where Gordon struggled badly in 2005.

"We'll just have to go to Chicago and make up for it," said Gordon.