LAS VEGAS -- All things being equal, Jeff Gordon should have been the one wearing the championship belt after Sunday's Shelby American at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. But in Sin City parlance, Gordon went bust in the closing laps, giving the house edge to Jimmie Johnson.

Had both Gordon and Johnson taken four tires, Gordon felt confident in his ability to win. Had both taken two, Gordon thought he still had the advantage. But when crew chief Steve Letarte went for a two-tire stop and Chad Knaus in the No. 48 camp bolted on four fresh Goodyears, Gordon realized he no longer held the winning hand.

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I felt like we needed to come in and get some tires, but I felt like two tires was the right call, too. We just needed the 48 to take two. They did the opposite of us. That won the race for them.

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-- JEFF GORDON

"Between the two cars, the 48 and the 24, whoever got out front at the end of that race was going to win the race if you had equal tires," Gordon said. "I mean, we were very, very equal. They were better at certain stages of the run, but he couldn't pass me. But, you know, I'm very confident, if he had taken two, I'm confident we would have won this race.

"If we'd have taken four and got out front of him, that's the only factor. If we took four and they beat us out, you know, then it would have come down to the restart. Who knows what would have happened on that. Had we been out front with four tires, I mean, he could catch me, but he didn't have anything for me once he caught me. You know, we were that good and they were that good and the track was real fast today. It was real hard to pass."

Gordon led all but 48 laps -- what is it about 48 these days? -- and had the field covered, with the exception of his Hendrick teammate. And when Kevin Conway hit the wall on Lap 228 to bring out what wound up being the day's seventh and final caution, it came down to a snap decision by Letarte. And it could have very well worked in Gordon's favor. But it didn't.

"Well, you know, if we won the race we'd look like geniuses, Steve would have," Gordon said. "The fact that we lost the race, now Chad looks like a genius. That's how it goes sometimes. When you're leading, that's the toughest position to be in, to make that call.

"I talked to Steve briefly after the race. He's pretty upset, obviously. I think he just felt like more people were gonna take two tires. Shoot, we were thinking for a split second to stay out. If we'd have done that, I think we would have finished 10th. You know, I felt like we needed to come in and get some tires, but I felt like two tires was the right call, too. We just needed the 48 to take two. They did the opposite of us. That won the race for them." (Continued)