Gordon Determined To Race Past Dale Sr.

 

Gordon eyeing better finish at Pocono than last time
By Mark Ashenfelter
Special to ESPN.com

Jeff Gordon's last visit to Pocono Raceway was memorable for all the wrong reasons. A failed brake rotor late in the race led to arguably the hardest hit of his career, leaving his Chevrolet a battered mess.

The good news for Gordon was that he walked away unscathed, except in the points standings after finishing 34th that day. Gordon's won twice since then (Sonoma and Chicagoland), but still sits just ninth in the standings heading into Sunday's Pennsylvania 500.

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There's really no margin for error as the drivers sitting third through 12th are separated by 154 points. While Gordon figures Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson and second-place Matt Kenseth are locked into the Chase for the Nextel Cup field at this point, no one else is secure.

"There are about 12 guys fighting for the last eight spots, and that's too many to worry about," Gordon said. "And we never want to focus on what they're doing or where they're running during a race. We must focus on things we can control, and that's getting the best finish possible for us." read more on Jeff Gordon getting more aggressive