Weekend That Was: Lowe's Motor Speedway

Even before his latest victory, this was Jeff Gordon's year.

He wants everyone to be aware of that. Even if he somehow fails to win the Chase for the Nextel Cup, he claims that it will still be his year.

"I'm going to tell you right now: I don't care what happens with the championship, this is my year -- just because I'm being a father," said Gordon, whose daughter Ella was born on June 20. "With the wins we've had so far and the kind of year on and off the racetrack it has been for me personally, it's just been the most incredible year already."

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Becoming a father for the first time will do that to folks. It makes everything else in life pale in comparison, and everything else pales greatly as well as quickly.

But the fact is that by winning the Bank of America 500 at Lowe's Motor Speedway last Saturday night for his sixth triumph of the season, which ties him with Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson for most victories on the year, Gordon made himself look more invincible than ever in 2007.

And he really does want the title. Who in their right mind wouldn't when it is dangling so darn close to the fingertips that grip the steering wheel of the No. 24 Chevrolet?

"I hope more than anything that we can seal this off with a championship because it would be just one of those dream years that I don't think I could ever touch again -- even better than '98 and the 13 wins we had in that championship [season]," Gordon said. "It's kind of hard to put into words and perspective, but I believe everything happens for a reason. I believe that you've got to work hard to put yourself in good position to make good things happen.

"You've got to have good karma and there are a lot of factors that play into why the chemistry of a team and certain people, you know, make special things happen; why it's some people one year and not the next. I don't have all the answers to it -- but whatever we're doing, we're going to keep doing it and see what happens."

With five races left in the '07 Chase, he knows he doesn't have it won yet. Johnson, the defending champion, looms a mere 68 points back in second and the surprisingly resilient Clint Bowyer, in only his second full-time season at the Cup level, lurks in third just 10 points behind Johnson and 78 behind overall.

Gordon even refuses to eliminate Tony Stewart from his list of serious contenders, even though Stewart is 198 points back now and keeps running into rookie Paul Menard at the most inconvenient of times.

"I don't care. Until [Stewart] is mathematically out of it, that guy is a threat -- a major threat. He can win at any track, any time," Gordon said. "They are a solid, strong team, and so I never count him out. I just know how good he is and how good his team is."

But now Gordon gets to go to Martinsville Speedway, one of his favorite racetracks. He has won there seven times in his storied career, has nine consecutive top-10 finishes, eight of which he finished sixth or higher. Included in those eight finishes were two of his wins and a pair of seconds, including last spring when he regretted not knocking Johnson out of the way in a race that it seemed Gordon could have won instead if he had only been a tad more aggressive. (Continued)