NASCAR WCUP: Gordon's Pocono Goals: Maintain Consistency, Defend Win
21 July 1999
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In the last eight races at Pocono, Gordon has finished first or second seven times. His average finish for those eight events is 2.25. Gordon looks to continue his success here as the NASCAR Winston Cup Series approaches the Pennsylvania 500 on July 25th.
Gordon is the defending winner of the Pennsylvania 500. Last year, he started second, and led three times for a total of 164 of 200 laps.
"We've just had an unbelievable amount of success at Pocono," said Gordon. "We've either won or finished second in all but one race in the last four years or so.
"I'm looking forward to going back to Pocono. I always look forward to going to the tracks where I feel like we've got a good shot at winning.
"We finished second at Pocono last month and if we can have a day like we did last year for the July race, we'll be in good shape."
In 13 races at the 2.5-mile tri-oval, Gordon has three wins, two poles, seven top-fives and 10 top-10's for an average finish of 8.6. He has led in 10 of those races for a total of 542 of 2,600 laps, or 20.8 per cent.
"We hope to have a good qualifying run," said Gordon. "Last year, the DuPont car was so much better out in front with clean air than it was when I was behind other cars. Ray and the crew put me out in the lead by taking on only two tires on the last pit stop, and that gave us the advantage we needed."
In a season that has been threaded with six less-than-desirable finishes of 21st or worse, along with four wins, 11 top-five and 12 top-10 finishes and a fifth-place points position, 389 behind leader Dale Jarrett, Gordon maintains that there is still a lot that can be accomplished this season.
"We need to continue to go out there and try to win races and lead laps," said Gordon. "If we do that, the points will come. There are still a lot of races left.
"We can't worry about trying to catch Jarrett," said Gordon. "We need to worry about what it is that we need to do. But if Jarrett and his team continue this season the way that they have, nobody will be able to catch them."
Last weekend, Gordon did catch Jarrett on the race track and at the end of the race they exchanged words over a last-lap pass that Gordon made for the third finishing position. However, Gordon and Jarrett have resolved their differences.
"D.J. and I are fine, "said Gordon. "I think we just got caught up in the heat of the moment, but we talked again later before we left the track and everything is fine. As far as I'm concerned, it was behind us the minute we left the track."
And behind him is where Gordon hopes the rest of the field is, once again, at the conclusion of the Pennsylvania 500.
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