DRIVE FOR FIVE
Gordon holds off Bowyer for Charlotte win
By Reid Spencer,Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service, October 14
CONCORD, N.C. -- As the "regular season" went, so
goes the Chase for the NASCAR Nextel Cup.
In a green-white-checkered-flag finish Saturday night at Lowe's Motor
Speedway, Jeff Gordon pulled away from Clint Bowyer to win the Bank of
America 500, and in doing so, he began to pull away from the rest of the
Chase field.
Gordon had opened a lead of more than 300 points before the numbers were
reset for the Chase after the 26th race of the season, at Richmond. With
his second straight victory, his sixth of the season and the 81st of his
career, Gordon began to distance himself from his rivals, leading
Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson by 68 points and Bowyer by
78 with five races left in the season.
Asked whether Gordon was now the man to beat for the Cup title, Bowyer
said simply, "Jeff's been the guy to beat all year long."
Chase drivers claimed the top five positions at LMS, but third-place
finisher Kyle Busch isn't within realistic striking distance of Gordon
at 280 points back. Neither are Jeff Burton and Carl Edwards, who ran
fourth and fifth Saturday and are 366 and 240 points behind Gordon,
respectively.
Battling a fuel pickup problem that jeopardized his performance on
restarts at the end of the race, Gordon still crossed the finish line
.579 seconds ahead of Bowyer in a race that went three laps beyond its
posted distance of 334 laps. On the final restart on Lap 336, Gordon
spun his tires, but Bowyer was unable to capitalize.
"On that last restart, I spun the wheels so bad that I thought Clint
Bowyer could have gotten by me," Gordon said. "But he gave me a big shot
in the rear, and that kind of got me going again."
Bowyer was closing in on Gordon right after the green flag was displayed
but couldn't make the pass.
"It was like he grabbed second gear right there," Bowyer said. "I think
about that time he shifted and didn't give me enough room to dart down
low. That was going to be my only shot. I was way too tight there at the
end."
It's all but over By Jerry Bonkowski, Yahoo! Sports,October 14
CONCORD, N.C. --That's it. I surrender. I'm waving the white, err, rainbow flag.
As much as I've said all season that Tony Stewart would be this year's Nextel Cup champion, I'm now convinced that even with five races still remaining, Jeff Gordon will not be denied in his bid for a fifth Cup championship.
It's his to win – and only his.
His won't-be-beat mindset, the almost osmotic relationship with crew chief Steve Letarte and the don't-quit attitude that has permeated throughout the No. 24 team all season long leaves no doubt that Gordon cannot be stopped.
Sure, Gordon's teammate Jimmie Johnson is still just 68 points behind Gordon and Clint Bowyer is 78 back.
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