The First Reid: Would Gordon Leave On Top? Not A Chance
By Reid Spencer
NASCAR Wire Service
At Daytona in February, Jeff Gordon hinted to reporters in a preseason question-and-answer session that he might consider leaving the driver’s seat of the No. 24 Chevrolet if he wins a fifth NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship this year.
After Gordon’s third victory of the season in Sunday’s Pure Michigan 400, a fifth championship is a distinct possibility.
But don’t expect Gordon to retire, even if he wins the title. He’s enjoying himself too much.
How much? Enough to take on sponsor 3M for three years on the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. The length of the deal for the new primary sponsor suggests Gordon will drive for at least three more years as he establishes an identity with the company.
Another strong hint that Gordon’s tenure will extend beyond a potential championship was the pairing of crew chief Greg Ives with Dale Earnhardt Jr., starting next year.
If Gordon’s departure were imminent, it would be logical to keep Ives with heir apparent Chase Elliott, with whom Ives has enjoyed success in the Nationwide Series at JR Motorsports.
And even if Gordon wins the championship this year, he’ll have another goal staring him straight in the face: teammate Jimmie Johnson’s six titles. Gordon helped bring Johnson into the Hendrick fold and, for the last 12 years, has all but ceded the role of “alpha” driver to his teammate.
As competitive as Gordon is, reclaiming the top of the pyramid is something he’d relish enormously.
@nascarcasm
Results from our fan poll question…
Nine total stickers total for Hendrick Motorsports this year on their Victory Lane loyalty card. One more, and they get a free 24-oz. fountain drink at participating victory lanes.
The Pure Michigan 400 in a nutshell – if your first name is Kyle, your day sucked.
On Twitter this Tuesday: “@JimmieJohnson: 48th person to join the human wall protecting me from Ryan Newman wins my Michigan hat. No repeat winners.”
Odd final round of qualifying for the Camping World Truck Series. Most of the trucks left way too late and didn’t make it to the line in time. As a result, they didn’t record a qualifying lap, but they did become eligible to run an airline.
(Follow @nascarcasm on Twitter. His unique views on NASCAR are his own – but chances are you have probably figured that out by now.)
NASCAR NUMBER
By Reid Spencer
26: The number of races between Jeff Gordon’s two most recent NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victories at Michigan International Speedway. Gordon took the checkered flag at MIS on June 10, 2001 in his last championship season. On Sunday, he won his third race at the two-mile track.
20: The number of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races Jeff Gordon has won from the pole position, fifth most on the all-time list. Gordon claimed the Coors Light pole award for Sunday’s race at Michigan with a track-record speed of 206.558 mph and went on to take the checkered flag.
4: The number of consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Michigan International Speedway in which Joey Logano has both started from inside the top 10 and finished inside the top 10. Logano has two ninths, a third (Sunday) and a win from the pole at MIS since joining Team Penske in 2013.
3: The number of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victories recorded at Bristol Motor Speedway by Matt Kenseth, the defending winner of the IRWIN Tools Night Race. Kenseth would like nothing better than to win for a fourth time at Thunder Valley on Saturday night, given that a victory would lock him into the Chase.
54: The number of laps led at Bristol Motor Speedway by Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup qualifier AJ Allmendinger, second only to the 152 laps Dinger has led at Dover. The driver of the No. 47 JTG/Daugherty Chevy followed his victory at Watkins Glen with a strong 13th-place run at Michigan on Sunday.
NASCAR NOTES
Last year, the Bristol winner’s list looked like this: Kasey Kahne in the spring, Matt Kenseth in the fall. Kenseth’s lofty points position (he’s fifth) means he likely has a spot in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. But Kahne could use a win, badly. He’s currently outside the Chase Grid, nine points behind Greg Biffle for the 16th and final spot. … Michigan saw five more drivers clinch a spot in the 2014 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. With 12 different winners and only three races left in the regular season, all one-win drivers are guaranteed a spot on the 16-driver Chase Grid (assuming they start the remaining races in the regular season). Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Aric Almirola, AJ Allmendinger and Kurt Busch have all now locked up a spot. Only four spots remain. … Sunoco rookie dynamo Kyle Larson suffered his first NASCAR national series last place finish on Sunday at Michigan, dropping him outside the current Chase Grid. But, there’s good news coming – immediately. Larson has finished in the top 10 in all four of his NASCAR national series races at Bristol, a slate that includes a 10th-place run in his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series debut there in March. He’s finished runner-up there twice in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.
Tune-In: NASCAR On Television, August 18-24
Monday, August 18
5 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FOX Sports 1
6:30 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub (re-air), FOX Sports 2
7:30 p.m., NASCAR America, NBC Sports Network
7:30 p.m., Empty Cup: Quest for the 1992 NASCAR Championship (re-air), FOX Sports 2
Tuesday, August 19
5 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FOX Sports 1
6:30 p.m., NASCAR America, NBC Sports Network
7 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub (re-air), FOX Sports 2
Wednesday, August 20
4:30 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Keystone Light Pole Qualifying, FOX Sports 1
6:30 p.m., NASCAR America, NBC Sports Network
8 p.m., NCWTS SetUp, FOX Sports 1
8:30 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race at Bristol, FOX Sports 1
Thursday, August 21
12:30 p.m., The 10 (re-air), FOX Sports 1
1 p.m., The 10 (re-air), FOX Sports 1
1:30 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Keystone Light Pole Qualifying (re-air), FOX Sports 1
3 p.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race at Bristol (re-air), FOX Sports 1
5 p.m., NASCAR Race Hub, FOX Sports 1
6:30 p.m., NASCAR America, NBC Sports Network
7 p.m., The 10 Greatest Bristol Moments (re-air), FOX Sports 1
7:30 p.m., The 10 NASCAR’s Greatest Finishes (re-air), FOX Sports 1
4 a.m. (Fri.), NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race at Bristol (re-air), FOX Sports 1
Friday, August 22
10 a.m., NASCAR K&N Pro Series Race at Evergreen, FOX Sports 1
11 a.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Practice, FOX Sports 1
1 p.m., NASCAR Live, FOX Sports 1
1:30 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Final Practice, FOX Sports 1
2:30 p.m., NASCAR Live, FOX Sports 1
3:30 p.m., NASCAR Nationwide Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying, FOX Sports 1
5:30 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying, ESPN2
7 p.m., NNS Countdown, ESPN
7:30 p.m., NASCAR Nationwide Series Race at Bristol, ESPN
3 a.m. (Sat.), NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Final Practice (re-air), FOX Sports 1
4 a.m. (Sat.), NASCAR Nationwide Series Coors Light Pole Qualifying (re-air), FOX Sports 1
Saturday, August 23
10 a.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Practice (re-air), FOX Sports 1
5 p.m., NASCAR K&N Pro Series Race at Evergreen (re-air), FOX Sports 2
6 p.m., NASCAR RaceDay, FOX Sports 2
7 p.m., NSCS Countdown, ABC
7:30 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race at Bristol, ABC
7:30 p.m., NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race at Bristol, ESPN Deportes
3 a.m. (Sun.), NASCAR Victory Lane, FOX Sports 1
3 a.m. (Sun.), NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race at Bristol (re-air), ESPN2
3:30 a.m. (Sun.), FOX Sports 1 on 1: Jimmie Johnson (re-air), FOX Sports 1
Sunday, August 24
10:30 a.m., NASCAR Victory Lane (re-air), FOX Sports 1
11 a.m., NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race at Bristol (re-air), FOX Sports 1
4 p.m., TUDOR United SportsCar Championship Race at VIR, FOX Sports 1
National Series Schedule
NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES
The Next Race: Irwin Tools Night Race
The Place: Bristol Motor Speedway
The Date/Time: Saturday, Aug. 23, 7:30 p.m. (ET)
TV: ABC
Radio: PRN,Sirius XM Channel 90
NASCAR NATIONWIDE SERIES
The Next Race: Food City 300
The Place: Bristol Motor Speedway
The Date/Time: Friday, Aug. 22, 7:30 p.m. (ET)
TV: ESPN
Radio: PRN, Sirius XM Channel 90
NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES
The Next Race: UNOH 200 Presented by ZLoop
The Place: Bristol Motor Speedway
Date/Time: Wednesday, Aug. 20, 8:30 p.m. (ET)
TV: FOX Sports 1
Radio: MRN, Sirius XM Channel 90
NASCAR National Series Standings
This year, wins matter more than in any season in the 65-year history of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
Essentially, a win locks a driver into the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.
Currently there are 12 different winners. The remainder of the 16-driver Chase Grid will be filled by those drivers highest in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points. See below for how the current Chase Grid would look if NASCAR’s playoffs began today:
Chase Grid Outlook
Pos Driver Wins
1 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 3
2 Brad Keselowski 3
3 Jimmie Johnson 3
4 Jeff Gordon 3
5 Joey Logano 2
6 Carl Edwards 2
7 Kevin Harvick 2
8 Kyle Busch 1
9 Denny Hamlin 1
10 Aric Almirola 1
11 Kurt Busch 1
12 AJ Allmendinger 1
13 Matt Kenseth 0
14 Ryan Newman 0
15 Clint Bowyer 0
16 Greg Biffle 0
NASCAR Nationwide Series
Pos Driver Points
1 Chase Elliott # 792
2 Regan Smith 782
3 Elliott Sadler 776
4 Ty Dillon # 764
5 Brian Scott 750
6 Trevor Bayne 740
7 Chris Buescher # 648
8 Brendan Gaughan 626
9 Ryan Reed # 602
10 James Buescher 586
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
Pos Driver Points
1 Johnny Sauter 448
2 Matt Crafton 439
3 Ryan Blaney 432
4 Ron Hornaday Jr. 429
5 Darrell Wallace Jr. 412
6 German Quiroga 403
7 Timothy Peters 396
8 Ben Kennedy # 389
9 Joey Coulter 388
10 Jeb Burton 360
Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.
- NASCAR to debut new short track package at Phoenix - February 28, 2023
- The Wrench Who Stole Racing - December 16, 2022
- Matt DiBenedetto’s excellent run comes to abrupt, violent end - February 17, 2019
