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Hendrick Motorsports' Jeff Gordon can't reign at New Hampshire Motor Speedway
By Jared Turner - SceneDaily Staff Writer
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Hendrick Motorsports driver Jeff Gordon finished second in Sunday's Lenox Industrial Tools 301 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Jim Fluharty
NASCAR Scene
LOUDON, N.H. – Jeff Gordon seemingly did everything necessary to win Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, but Joey Logano – and the weather – stood in the way.
Gordon, who led six times for a total of 64 laps, was poised to cycle back into the lead after a final round of green-flag pit stops before rain ended the race early with Logano in front.
Logano was going to need to stop for fuel in about five laps when the race was red-flagged and eventually called 28 laps short of the advertised distance.
So Gordon, who finished second, was left to ponder what might have been.
“There at the end, we were running second and we just had an awesome pit stop, got [out] first – well, not first on the track – but ahead of the guys who were racing,” Gordon said. “I was wondering why the guys were racing me really hard. I thought they were lapped cars, and we were actually racing for position and that cost me some time, and Kurt [Busch] started catching us.
“I saw the rain coming, and I pushed it the first lap or so, and it started getting pretty slick and [I] started backing off and Kurt really gained on me, and then [crew chief] Steve [Letarte] told me [Logano] was actually the leader. At that moment, my heart sunk that we didn't have a shot at winning it.”
Logano, who topped off on fuel after a spin on lap 182, was able to stretch his last tank farther than most of the leaders who made their penultimate stop under a caution about 30 laps earlier. Logano also pitted again on lap 194 just before the field went back to green following a caution for the wrecked car of Scott Speed.
So Letarte wasn’t that alarmed to see crew chief Greg Zipadelli attempt to keep Logano on track until the rain came.
“When you have an off-day you have those opportunities, and they took advantage of that opportunity and that’s a veteran crew chief and a veteran team making the most they can out of the situation,” Letarte said. “ … I was surprised they made it as far as they did, but I wasn’t surprised they tried. It was a lot of cautions in there, it was a great strategy.”
But that strategy didn’t bode well for Gordon, who had one of the two or three best cars in the field all day. But even once the final caution flew for rain, Gordon didn’t give up. And he tried everything within his power to make Logano’s plan backfire as the cars circled the track for a few laps under the final yellow flag that was ultimately replaced by the red flag.
“He was shutting the engine off and not keeping up with the pace car,” Gordon said. “I was just running pace car speed and it allowed me to get to the outside of him and make him start his engine and use some fuel and he didn't like that. So he moved up so I couldn't get to the outside, so I just went to the inside. I didn't want to push him, and I didn't want to back off because that was our only shot was for him to run out of fuel. You know, he did exactly what he needed to do.”
And so did Gordon. But it wasn’t enough.
“After the last couple years we had, you hate to ever give them away, and I feel that we got beat today when we probably shouldn’t have,” Letarte said.
Mentioned Drivers: Jeff Gordon
2009 Sprint Cup Race for the Chase Standings
Driver Standings after the Checker O'Reilly Auto Parts 500
| 1 | Jimmie Johnson | 6492 |
| 2 | Mark Martin | -108 |
| 3 | Jeff Gordon | -169 |
| 4 | Kurt Busch | -211 |
| 5 | Tony Stewart | -285 |
| 6 | Juan Pablo Montoya | -289 |
| 7 | Greg Biffle | -321 |
| 8 | Denny Hamlin | -352 |
| 9 | Ryan Newman | -411 |
| 10 | Kasey Kahne | -476 |
| 11 | Carl Edwards | -520 |
| 12 | Brian Vickers | -666 |
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7 responses to "Hendrick Motorsports' Jeff Gordon can't reign at New Hampshire Motor Speedway". Post a Comment.
Anonymous said:
Jun 29, 2009 at 10:01 AMgood race jeff i think you would have won that one if it didnt rain.
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» Confirm Abuse Reporttm-mtmeier said:
Jun 29, 2009 at 2:59 PMCongratulations, Jeff!! You looked really good out there. And you got lots of practice during the double-file restarts from the front row. It must have been great to be able to try it from either the inside or the outside. Glad to see you race to lead the first laps. It is good to see you doing so much better than last year!!
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» Confirm Abuse Reportkylestewart said:
Jun 29, 2009 at 4:09 PMyeah Jeffey it was great to hear you whine because someone was racing you side by side. i don't know who cries more about getting raced, jeffey or jenny.
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» Confirm Abuse Reportbigj said:
Jun 29, 2009 at 5:36 PMKyle why don't you go post somewhere else..Jeff was just letting Kurt know two can play at the same game..Nascar called the race way too early and... everyone knows it was to let Joey have a win..they are trying everything to get more people to watch the races and it is just not working. Jeff you are the best..go get 'em in Daytona
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» Confirm Abuse ReportTimothy Schultze said:
Jun 29, 2009 at 8:34 PMOn top of that Mr Jeff Gordon really likes HARD racing but dislikes when you want to use your car to push him out of the grove which is the way both Busch brothers drive hes lucky he was not racing Mr Stewart because he would have cut down and the 2 would have been done for the day.WEVE SEEN IT BEFORE.
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» Confirm Abuse ReportAnonymous said:
Jun 29, 2009 at 9:09 PMRah!!! Rah!!! Jeff you looked great out their, you would have won if not for the rain. But I think they control who wins to a point and who doesn't. Like BigJ said, they want more people to watch, not who is the best driver. You Jeff Gordon is and always will be the BEST!!! Hey and whine all you want #3, you know he is the BEST!!!!
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» Confirm Abuse ReportSS396Chevelle said:
Jun 29, 2009 at 9:19 PMGreat racing Jeff, you did make the race fun to watch. Jeff and Tony going at it and wrecking each other not this year. Being 1 and 2 in points and both driving Hendrick cars each will give the other more room on turns and on restarts. Jeff's warning to Kurt was hey lets do this the right way and not give the race away.
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