Jeff Gordon led three laps Sunday at Pocono. Credit: Autostock

Gordon hopes top-five keeps him in Chase hunt

Four-time Indianapolis winner looks forward to break, Brickyard

LONG POND, Pa. -- Jeff Gordon left Pocono Raceway a month ago glad to be alive.

He left Pennsylvania Sunday evening comfortable that his opportunity to race for the 2006 Nextel Cup championship has plenty of life left.

Jeff Gordon kept his ninth-place position in points after Pocono. Credit: Autostock

Pennsylvania 500 Official Results Pos. Driver Make 1. Denny Hamlin Chevy 2. Kurt Busch Dodge 3. Jeff Gordon Chevy 4. Brian Vickers Chevy 5. Kevin Harvick Chevy 6. Jimmie Johnson Chevy 7. Tony Stewart Chevy 8. Bobby Labonte Dodge 9. Jeff Burton Chevy 10. Martin Truex Jr. Chevy • Complete results, click here • Official standings, click here Top finishersBusch, Gordon and Harvick talk about their Pocono runs Final lapsBusch takes second over Gordon in the final laps Sign up for TrackPass now BUY THE NEXTEL i836

"To come back from the devastating crash a month ago and finish third says a lot about this team and this program," Gordon said of his result in the Pennsylvania 500. "This is a great way to hit the off-weekend and to get into the summer with this kind of a stride -- it's fantastic."

At the end of June's Pocono 500, a brake failure at the end of the long frontstretch propelled Gordon into the Turn 1 wall, annihilated his No. 24 Chevrolet and relegated him to 34th position in the race.

After that wreck, he was 11th in the standings and he's been outside the top 10 two-thirds of the time since then. But with more than a week before teams have to travel to the next race -- the Allstate 400 at The Brickyard -- Gordon's feeling pretty content.

His enthusiasm comes despite having a car that might not have been equal to its finish.

At Lap 180, Gordon was sixth. The seventh and final caution came out on Lap 181 for debris, and when the race restarted Gordon was second behind eventual winner Denny Hamlin and just ahead of runner-up Kurt Busch.

"We didn't need that last caution," Gordon said. "I was happy to get up there into second.

"I tried to hold Kurt [Busch] off, but his car was just a little bit better than mine. We had really a third-place car for a good part of the day.

"Steve Letarte [crew chief] and all the guys on the DuPont Chevrolet crew just did a fantastic job in the pits -- the strategy and the pit stops."

Gordon started fifth and never fell lower than 14th in any scoring rundown.

"We had some trouble with a lug nut hanging up early in the race," Gordon said. "And that got us behind a little bit, but to come back for third, I couldn't be happier."

Even though Gordon said his car was only good enough for third, he was satisfied to maintain his ninth position in the standings. He is 35 points ahead of 10th-place Tony Stewart.

"I still don't feel we've reached our full potential," Gordon said. "I felt like we were really going to start hitting on some things good through the summer and we have."

In his last six races, Gordon has two victories and four top-10s.

Sunday's finish was more in line with Gordon's history at Pocono, where he has three career victories, five runner-ups and 19 top-10 finishes in 28 starts.

Now Gordon turns his sights on Indianapolis, where he has three Bud Poles and four victories in 12 races there.

"As far as getting better, we know we can," Gordon said. "That's where we're headed and we're looking forward to making that all happen when we come back from vacation."