JEFF GORDON TOO "COOL2GO" ANYWHERE BUT UP IN
DAYTONA
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - It is not easy to stay cool at Daytona in July.
However, Jeff Gordon, driver of the No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet, intends to keep cool
in several different ways as he enters the Pepsi 400 at Daytona International
Speedway this Saturday night.
On the track, keeping physically cool in a 3400 pound stock car is
difficult in the summer heat in Florida as temperatures get well over 100 degrees in
the cockpit.
"It does get extremely hot in the car," said Gordon. "However, we have
ways of dealing with the heat. We have a system that allows air to flow through
our helmets and the crew works to keep me cool on pit stops with water and ice
packs."
Off the track this weekend, Gordon will be involved in a few other "cool"
things. With DuPont's new "Cool2go Wrap" logo on the TV panel for this
weekend's event, Gordon will promote the science company's new insulated beverage
wrap -- label technology that allows the beverage to remain colder, longer.
In addition, the No. 24 car will sport a special paint scheme that
showcases the cool $1 billion that Pepsi is offering up in a current promotion. The
paint scheme can be seen this Wednesday on the Today Show on NBC.
However, as we mark the second half of a season that consists of a 20
consecutive race weekend streak, "keeping his cool" is the key that will allow
Gordon to maintain the pace he has kept in gaining points on leader Matt Kenseth
for a fifth NASCAR Winston Cup Series championship.
"We're running for a championship," Gordon said. "That's where our focus
is and as we get ready to enter this 20 week stretch, we need to maintain that
focus and remember patience each week -- in each race -- in order to be a
contender at the end."
Gordon has been on a roll as of late, finishing in the top three in three
of the last four races. After the road race at Infineon Raceway on July 22,
he jumped ahead of Dale Earnhardt, Jr., to move into second place in the point
standings. He picked up 49 points on leader Matt Kenseth and now only trails
him by 174.
A good finish on Saturday night could open the door for Gordon to make
another significant gain in points on Kenseth, who has only one top-10 finish in
seven races at Daytona and just one top-five in 14 career restrictor plate
races.
"Earnhardt, Jr., will be tough because he's always strong at restrictor
plate races, but we may be able to pick up some more points on Kenseth," said
Gordon.
"Matt's been consistent all season, but this might be another situation
that we can take advantage of. Regardless of where he finishes, we still need
to have a strong finish Saturday night."
If Gordon hopes to make any gains he'll have to turn around his recent
history at Daytona. In his first 13 NASCAR Winston Cup races at Daytona, he
scored four wins and eight top-five finishes. However, in the eight races since,
he has only two top 10's and three finishes of 30th or worse.
"It's not like we've had bad cars or anything," said Gordon. "We've led
laps and been up front in most of those races, but we've not been able to come
away with the finishes we were expecting."
Despite recent stats, Gordon still leads all active drivers who have 10
or more starts at Daytona, with a 9.76 average starting and 14.5 average
finishing position. In fact, Gordon's six restrictor-plate wins are the most of any
active driver.
"We ran well this year at Daytona, but I was just a bit unlucky," said
Gordon. "I was leading the Budweiser Shootout with just a few laps to go before
Junior got some help and passed me on the outside. And then in the 500, I was
running third when I made a move to get the lead but got shuffled back right
before the rain and the red flag. I think our restrictor plate program is where
it needs to be.
"The teams who are best prepared will make it through this 20-race
stretch on top of the standings. There is no doubt in my mind that we are one of
those teams."
And how cool would it be for Gordon to achieve a fifth Winston Cup
championship?
