For Gordon, Chase remains elusive, frustrating quarry (cont'd)

No matter that for one reason or another Gordon and crew chief Steve Letarte have just been behind in coming to grips with the new car, the result of being able to rely on the old vehicle on so many intermediate tracks last year. Letarte, especially, takes the heat from a No. 24 fan base that's been spoiled by so much excellence throughout the years. Still, when viewed through the prism of Gordon's career, zero race wins since this past October and a suddenly shaky ninth-place position in points seem less than comforting.

But the driver has no doubts. "Everything's good. Stevie's strong, doing a great job. I have complete faith in him," Gordon said after practice for Saturday's Sharpe 500 on the half-mile track.

"Just like last week, we had trouble in the pits, but this week we had some great team-building moments to get the pit crew together, and you know what, I have complete faith in them. I've made mistakes, we've all made mistakes. It just hasn't been that great, stellar year for us. You can point fingers and try to say this is what's caused us to be behind, or that. You can say Jeff's made mistakes or Steve. I know where we lie, and I feel our team is very capable of being up there in the mix. I think it's funny how easily we forget how strong we were last year. For wherever reason, we just haven't been there. But nobody's working harder than we are internally to make it happen."

Besides, he's been here before -- worse than this, actually. The only time Gordon missed the Chase was in 2005, and with three events left in that regular season he was a whopping 142 points out of what then was the 10th and final playoff spot. That season also had its consequences, most notably the separation of Gordon and crew chief Robbie Loomis, with whom he won his most recent championship in 2001. Letarte ascended to the pit box for the first time late that season, and by last year Gordon was again one of the best in his sport.

Of course, that doesn't help him right now, as he hangs in Chase contention by his fingernails. Yet it says something about Gordon and the No. 24 team that they still have a theoretical chance to win the championship, even in the midst of what anyone would view as a mediocre campaign. The final three events of the regular season would seem to play to his strengths -- a pair of short tracks in Bristol and Richmond, and a big speedway in California where he finished third earlier this year and has won a record three times.

But then again, this is a different, recently resurfaced Bristol. And he hasn't won here since 2002. Or at California since 2004. Or at Richmond since 2000. Nothing is guaranteed.

"I think we can take a few more risks, because now we're racing a certain group of guys. We're racing 14, 13, 12, 11 in the points, so if those guys are taking bigger risks, it might push us into the corner having to take bigger risks," he said, before qualifying third for Saturday's race and posting the 16th-fastest speed in final practice. "But again, that's not our focus. Our focus is, make the car go fast, No. 1. No. 2 is to get out there and run our race, not focus on anybody else. If we do those parts right, we shouldn't have to take big risks. We shouldn't have to do things based on what the other guys are doing."

He hasn't allowed himself to think about what the fallout would be should he miss the Chase, what re-evaluations or personnel changes might have to be made. Those will all come later, if they're needed at all. Right now, the singular focus is once again on trying to beat this playoff system that always seems to get the best of him. Bristol, California and Richmond will determine whether he gets the chance.

"I think we're very capable, and our team should be in it," he said. "Even with the troubles we've had this year, I still think we've got a good enough team to be in it. We've got three weeks to show that."

The opinions expressed are solely of the writer.

Also
• Gordon qualifies third, recognizes Bristol differences