Ending long winless streak could open the floodgates

AVONDALE, Ariz. -- Look out, folks.

After breaking a 47-race winless streak at Texas his last time out, Jeff Gordon hungers for more. And history shows that when it's feeding time, he often is able to pig out at the expense of all others in the Cup Series.

After taking last weekend off to celebrate Easter, the Sprint Cup Series returns to action at Phoenix International Raceway and Gordon likes his chances in Saturday night's Subway Fresh Fit 500 (8 p.m. ET, FOX).

Why not?

In 2002, he snapped a 31-race winless streak by winning at Bristol -- and followed that up by winning at Darlington the very next week. The next year, he ended a 22-race drought by winning at Martinsville -- and followed that up by also winning the very next race at Atlanta.

Then, in 2007, he went to none other than PIR having failed to reach Victory Lane in 25 races. He won to tie Dale Earnhardt for sixth on the all-time victory list, and then captured the very next race at Talladega, as well, to pass Earnhardt.

"I think it's just an indication of what confidence can do," Gordon said. "When you win a race, the whole team just gains confidence and momentum and takes that into the next race -- or the next several races."

Gordon was having a fine season even before winning at Texas -- one of only two tracks on the current circuit where he had never previously won (the other being Homestead). He was leading in the point standings and had finished sixth or better in five consecutive races even before putting it all together to reach Victory Lane in the Lone Star State.

"That was a huge win for us at Texas in so many ways," Gordon said. "I was trying to explain to [crew chief] Steve [Letarte] and the whole team just how big that win was. It was a track we had never won at before; we had gone a long while without a win. With being where we were this season, with as strong as our team has been and leading in the points, it just couldn't have been a bigger win for us.

"I'm still in disbelief that we won it, to tell you the truth. I really was starting to think that we would never win a race at Texas. It just seemed like when the opportunities came our way there, we had never been able to seize on the moment. The way the cars are driving this season is so much better; the pit stops are great, the communication ... everything is just working really, really well right now. I think the win at Texas proved just how good everything is working for us right now."

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His fellow competitors have noticed.

"I think if you look at how they've run all year, they've positioned themselves to win a bunch of races -- and be a team that, before the year is over, has won the most races. They are that strong," Jeff Burton said. "They are definitely better at this point in the season than they were last year at this time. And anytime a team improves themselves -- especially that team -- they can go off and knock a bunch of wins off, no question about it.

"I don't spend a lot of time thinking about other teams. I try to concentrate on what we're doing. But they're definitely a threat every week."

Despite his strong start and the fact that he's currently leading in the points, Gordon said he knows what is truly important -- and that's how his No. 24 Chevrolet team is performing during the final 10-race Chase.

"To me, everything has changed since the Chase format has come along. I love it, but how you go about streaks and momentum and consistency is all so much different in how I approach it and look at it. And this team, the same way," Gordon said. "It's important to win races, I think, to show yourself and everybody that you're capable of winning races. I think right now, that was huge for us. And then you add in the fact that we won at a track where we had never won before, that was huge, too.

"But what you're really trying to do is build momentum up to those final 10 races -- getting yourself into that top 12 with a team and a car that not only you know but your competition is looking at as one to beat. And then over those final 10 races, you've got to nail it at those tracks.

"And I think that's also what was so significant about winning at Texas. That's one of the tracks that's in the Chase."

Of course, so is Phoenix.

Video
• Gordon qualifies fourth at Phoenix

Joe Menzer is the author of "The Great American Gamble: How the 1979 Daytona 500 Gave Birth to a NASCAR Nation." Click here to purchase.