Jeff Gordon finished 13th on Sunday at Watkins Glen. Credit: Autostock

Gordon battles to stay on Chase roster -- again

Late spin at Glen forces No. 24 team to scramble for top-20 finish

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. -- It has been all or nothing for Jeff Gordon in 2006, and Watkins Glen was very close to being nothing.

Credit: Autostock

Official Results AMD at The Glen Pos. Driver Make 1. Kevin Harvick Chevrolet 2. Tony Stewart Chevrolet 3. Jamie McMurray Ford 4. Robby Gordon Chevrolet 5. Carl Edwards Ford 6. Scott Pruett Dodge 7. Elliott Sadler Ford 8. Ryan Newman Dodge 9. Kyle Busch Chevrolet 10. Denny Hamlin Chevrolet • Complete results, click here • Official standings, click here Victory LaneHarvick celebrates his AMD at The Glen win SpinnersJeff Gordon and Dale Jr. stumble at The Glen Big wreckA pileup takes out several on Lap 61 Tough weekendBiffle crashes into guardrail, taking him out of contention CautionKyle Busch causes caution when tire goes flat Green flagStart troublesome for Kurt Busch and Sadler Sign up for TrackPass now BUY THE NEXTEL i836

Gordon, precariously sitting on the Chase bubble for the second consecutive year, survived a late spin in the AMD at the Glen on Sunday, driving from 30th to 13th in the last 20 laps.

The finish kept Gordon ninth in the standings, 30 points ahead of 10th-place Dale Earnhardt Jr.

"Well, we wanted to make up some big ground and we are fortunate that we didn't lose much ground," Gordon said. "We were a top-five car, but we were not a winning car today. "

Gordon was racing Mark Martin for position when the two made contact, sending Gordon's Chevrolet into a 360-degree spin. The spin didn't result in a caution, and Gordon was relegated to a spot among the tail of the field.

"Well Mark Martin just got in too deep and we were all just dicing it up there and I got underneath somebody and drove in there real deep," Gordon said. "Mark apologized to me. [He said] he got in there too deep.

Gordon said he shared the blame.

"I got in there too deep too and I had to check up there myself," Gordon said. "You know, [it is] hard to be mad at a guy like Mark Martin."

It was the second consecutive week of successful frustration for Gordon, who finished 16th last weekend in Indianapolis despite a broken sway bar. Gordon made up three laps at Indianapolis and rode that momentum into Watkins Glen, where Gordon had won four times.

"We are a great team right now, but we are getting in some bad situations that we are having to claw our way out of," Gordon said.

Gordon's Chevrolet lacked its trademark road course speed all weekend. Gordon qualified fourth at the 2.45-mile road course, but his car lacked the blazing pace set by Kurt Busch and Tony Stewart.

Still, Gordon was sure he would at least secure a top-five.

"I am not sure what to be upset about, that we were not good enough to battle with the good guys like Tony and Kurt, but we were going be a top five and you never know when the cautions are going to fall and how the pit strategy works out," Gordon said. "If we hadn't gotten spun there, we were going to be up there fifth or sixth I believe and that would have been a great day for us."