Jeff Gordon was in the top 10 for all but 12 laps Sunday at Loudon. Credit: Autostock

Solid run at Loudon puts Gordon back in game

Third-place run key after disappointing performance at Richmond

LOUDON, N.H. -- If anyone thought Jeff Gordon had forgotten anything about chasing a Nextel Cup championship, Hendrick Motorsports' four-time Cup champion reminded everyone he hadn't Sunday at New Hampshire.

	Credit: Autostock
	Chase Standings After Loudon (9 races remaining) Pos. Prev. Driver Behind 1. +2 K. Harvick -- 2. +3 D. Hamlin -35 3. -2 M. Kenseth -41 4. +5 J. Gordon -50 5. +3 J. Burton -64 6. +1 M. Martin -75 7. -1 Dale Jr. -81 8. +2 K. Kahne -110 9. -7 J. Johnson -139 10. -6 Ky. Busch -146

Gordon, who missed the 2005 Chase, entered this year's postseason ninth in the standings after a mediocre performance at Richmond last weekend.

And even though he has three NHIS wins on his resume, the last came in 1998.

So in Sunday's Sylvania 300, Gordon and his No. 24 Chevrolet team did just what they had to by running in the top 10 for 288 of the race's 300 laps -- 34 of them in the lead -- on the way to a third-place finish after Tony Stewart passed him with less than four laps to go.

Gordon and young crew chief Steve Letarte, who was atop the box for his first Chase start Sunday, made some aggressive strategy work for them.

"I'd like to say it was the strategy that worked but I just played the normal Loudon strategy," Letarte said. "I think Greg Zipadelli [Stewart's crew chief] had the right call, putting tires on -- but our car wouldn't go on new tires so that wasn't going to work for us.

"Fuel was really close, but we're not going to run this Chase conservatively. We made the decision when we made the Chase that the 17 [Matt Kenseth] and the 48 [Hendrick teammate Jimmie Johnson] were the favorites and I think everybody forgot about us.

"So we decided we're not going to be conservative -- we're going to go and try to win 10 races. Without a caution, we were going to be second or out of gas -- I don't know which. So I'm happy with third."

It was Gordon's 11th top-five finish in 27 races this season, but most importantly it vaulted him five positions up in the standings, to fourth behind new leader and race winner Kevin Harvick.

Gordon came to his post-race media briefing without even knowing where he sat in the standings, but he quickly warmed to the subject.

"Where are we? Fourth? Cool, I'll take that," Gordon said through a smile, before getting serious. "I think as bad as our run was at Richmond, it was pretty important for us to make some kind of statement [Sunday].

"You want to be competitive -- that's the thing -- and we were today. It is fun to go up there and take the lead and have a strong car like that."

Letarte, a New England native, agreed with his driver on the need to make a case that Gordon was back as a contender.

"I think we succeeded in making the statement that we needed to," Letarte said. "I mean, we weren't good up here last fall and we were average, at best, in [July] -- and I was really not happy with our performance at either Richmond or Phoenix.

"So to come to another flat track, qualify very well, be fast in every practice and keep the car driving well and to come out of here with a top three -- and to be in a position to win, we were real happy with that."

If, as he said, Gordon's team went astray through the middle of the race, it was less than a momentary lapse. He was only out of the top 10 for 12 laps.

"Like I said, we lost the handling on it in the middle of it a little bit," Gordon said. "But all I can ask for every single weekend is to have the type of racecar and the kind of effort we had here today. If we can do that, boy, we are really going to give these guys a run for their money."

Kevin Harvick led 196 laps to win the Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire. Credit: Autostock

Sylvania 300 Results Pos. Driver Make 1. Kevin Harvick Chevy 2. Tony Stewart Chevy 3. Jeff Gordon Chevy 4. Denny Hamlin Chevy 5. Brian Vickers Chevy 6. Elliott Sadler Dodge 7. Jeff Burton Chevy 8. J.J. Yeley Chevy 9. Dave Blaney Dodge 10. Matt Kenseth Ford • Complete results, click here • Driver standings, click here Victory LaneKevin Harvick celebrates his Sylvania 300 win at Loudon Chase finishersGordon, Dale Jr. and Hamlin talk about the Loudon race Final lapsCars go crashing across the finish line behind Harvick Set backChase contender Jimmie Johnson slams into the wall damaging his car Tough racingKyle Busch crashes into the wall and takes a spin Early cautionKyle Busch involved in a spin bringing out the first caution Sign up for TrackPass now BUY THE NEXTEL i836

Gordon did that by having a car that was very good on long runs. What eliminated any chance of catching Harvick were two cautions in the last 40 laps. That ultimately enabled 2005 Nextel Cup champion Stewart, who put on four new tires for a restart with 30 laps to go, to pass Gordon on a restart with four to go.

"We never were good on restarts and new tires or cold tires," Gordon said. "But on those long runs, we could really catch them.

"At the beginning of the race, it would take about 20 laps and we would just run them down and pass them and I was having a lot of fun with that. Towards the middle of the race, the track tightened up on me and we just lost the handling a little bit."

Gordon pitted for the last time with well under 100 laps remaining, and made his old tires work.

"We made some adjustments on that last set of tires and the car came back and we drove back up to second," Gordon said. "I was pretty happy with that."

At the end, when Kyle Petty's blown engine brought out the final caution, Gordon was in the final throes of sweating his fuel mileage. Not much was said about it during the closing laps, but Gordon was definitely aware of it.

"Fuel was definitely a concern for me at the end," Gordon said. "We were saving that whole last run and we really didn't know if we were going to make it. But I felt like we'd saved enough, and luckily we did."

It came to a head on the penultimate caution, with 33 laps remaining.

"With fuel mileage becoming an issue, I knew some guys were going to probably come in and take tires, which they did," Gordon said. "We were hoping that track position would pay off for us and it did 'til that last caution."

It made their ultimate finish all the sweeter.

"I knew on that last restart we were in trouble with Tony [Stewart] behind me and fresher tires; and then I tried to go around the bottom and he went to the top and drove right around me," Gordon said. "So I'm real happy with third place. It's a great way for us to get this Chase started."

In a similar scenario to what he saw at New Hampshire this weekend, Gordon and company now go to Dover, where he has four wijs. However, the last one came in 2001.

Harvick has won two consecutive races and, even though his series lead over Gordon is only 50 points, Gordon knows what his team has to do.

"Those guys [Harvick's team] are on a roll and on a high and I'm sure they're going to try to stay on that and it's up to us and the other guys out there running for the championship to try to break some of that momentum," Gordon said.

"So I feel like I've got to elevate our game as well. We did that today, but obviously we've got to do a little bit more."

Gordon said he's not one to get lost in the afterglow of one good race, especially with nine to go.

"Next week is another race and you put this one behind you and you focus on that one and anything can happen next week as well," Gordon said. "The competition is so tough and so consistent and it gets better every year -- and this could be the year when one or two guys maybe don't have any trouble [in the Chase].

"But it's nice to get this one. But then next week you're going to do the same thing. You're going to hold your breath and hope you get though that one. You'll breathe a sigh of relief and do the same thing for the next one."