For Gordon, Texas is a roller coaster ride

“I like to relate this track to a roller coaster because certainly driving it is similar to a roller coaster,” Gordon said Friday. “The transitions from the straightaway to the corners are more abrupt than at any other track we go to. When you look at the pace and the grip level, it goes up and down.

“It is definitely a roller coaster ride. It’s a tough race track; a very technical race track, and also abrasive. So there’s good fall-off and you’ve got to search this race track.”

It’s certainly been a roller coaster ride for the No. 24 team at the Fort Worth, Texas oval over the years. Gordon’s average finish of 17.6 and lone win in 2009 don’t scream excellence when compared to his records at other tracks. But numbers don’t tell the team’s story at Texas, Gordon says.

“I think we’ve been very strong here,” Gordon said. “But we haven’t always had – I don’t like to say ‘luck’ because I think you make your own luck – but we haven’t had as good of results as I feel like we’ve performed here over the years.”

Gordon flexed his muscles on the Lone Star State track last spring when a two-tire call late in the race allowed him to contend for the win and eventually post a runner-up finish to Joey Logano. In the fall, he literally came out swinging when a spin from Brad Keselowski in the final laps turned a top-five run into a 29th-place result, sparking a post-race brawl on pit road between the two teams.

RELATED: See the brawl from the last Texas race

But Gordon’s calm demeanor doesn’t show residue from that now-famous scuffle. Rather, he sets his sights on improving this time.

“I would have liked to have gotten a little bit better restart,” Gordon said. “I probably would have stayed on Jimmie’s (Johnson) quarter panel maybe just a little bit stronger. We came through the double dogleg and when it came to the second part of that dogleg, I got close to him, but then I opened up that gap to get my angle for the corner and that’s when Keselowski took that middle lane. So, I probably would have just maybe done something to try and not give him that option.

“There’s not a whole lot that I would have done different. We had a pretty amazing race up until that point last year.”

Ultimately, Gordon’s performances at Texas last season have provided him with one crucial element for success as Saturday’s race inches closer.

“It just gives me confidence that we were strong here last year and that we ran so well that we had cars that were capable of winning here,” Gordon said. “And that gives you confidence when you go back.

“… Even though we haven’t always had the great results here at Texas, the last couple years, I’ve always enjoyed coming in here and feeling like, no matter what the rules are, we’ve got a car and a team that can perform really well here.”

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