Four-time champion hopes to build on gains made for Coca-Cola 600
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After exiting the car Saturday night following what was more than likely his final appearance in a NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, Jeff Gordon said his Hendrick Motorsports team would transfer its on-track performance gatherings over to next weekend's Coca-Cola 600 (May 24, 6 p.m. ET, FOX, PRN, SiriusXM), NASCAR's longest race. But Gordon's personal memories from the heartfelt pre-race ceremonies, he said, would be a much longer-lasting experience.
Gordon started ninth in the 20-car field and methodically worked his way to a fourth-place finish in the invitational event, which he's won three times in his Sprint Cup Series career. But the four-time series champ was overwhelmed by the surprises in store during the glitz of Charlotte Motor Speedway's driver introductions, where he was saved for last and greeted by longtime crew chief Ray Evernham as he took the stage, set against a backdrop of fans holding commemorative placards.
"Seeing all the fans holding up signs with the 24 on it, having (his wife) Ingrid and the kids, my mom and my dad there was amazing," Gordon said. "Those were all surprises to me. I asked my parents, I said, 'why are you guys here? I never see you at driver introductions.' Now I know why, and that was very special -- something that I'll never forget. And I'm glad we had a really solid performance overall as a team. I'm really excited about that performance that we can take to next week's 600. I think our car's pretty good and we can make it a little bit better."
His No. 24 Chevrolet for the All-Star event certainly improved over its maiden voyage in Friday's lone practice, where Gordon was just 16th-fastest of the 17 drivers locked into the main event at that point. But that session, held during a period of mid-afternoon warmth, didn't hold the same promise for Gordon and Co. during the nighttime conditions.
Even with the dramatic improvement, Gordon still felt like his team has gains to make on Stewart-Haas Racing teammates Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch, both of whom have resided near the head of the series' class for much of 2015. Harvick roared from a dead-last starting spot to a runner-up finish, and Busch led 24 of the 110 laps before settling in for third place.
"We were so frustrated yesterday because it was so hot and slick during the day in practice and we were slow," Gordon said of Friday's outing. "I kept telling them, 'man, we're wasting our time out here in this heat and we're going to be fine when the sun goes down,' and we showed that we were. But we've got to get a little bit better. The 4 (Harvick) and the 41 (Busch) are just so strong, and they have been all year, but we're close. I thought we were closer than we've been, so that's good."
Gordon's next task in his final full season of Sprint Cup competition comes next Sunday in what will likely be his last Coca-Cola 600. The race holds special significance for Gordon, who collected his first premier series victory in the 600-miler as an up-and-coming 22-year-old in May 1994.
More fanfare celebrating that milestone win is expected next week, as Gordon continues the countdown to what may well be his final Sprint Cup event in November at Homestead-Miami Speedway. But more immediately on Saturday night, Gordon was left savoring a special All-Star experience, the impact of which he said wouldn't sink in until later.
"It's too early for me to put that into perspective," he said. "I have so many races ahead of us before the season is over. I think Homestead is going to be the one that really impacts me the most."