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NASCAR WCUP: Jeff Gordon looks to be in middle of the action at Michigan again

17 August 2000

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel

BROOKLYN, Mich. - Last year at Michigan Speedway, Jeff Gordon started his weekend with a second-place finish after a battle with Dale Earnhardt, Jr., in the NASCAR Busch Series race in his Pepsi Chevrolet.

Then in Sunday's Pepsi 400 NASCAR Winston Cup race, Gordon entered into a fierce competition with the senior of the Earnhardts for the lead and, once again, finished second when Bobby Labonte slipped past both the DuPont and Goodwrench Chevrolets for the race win.

"I really enjoyed racing with Junior last year in the Busch race," said Gordon. "My crew chief, Patrick Donahue, and all the guys on the Pepsi team put a car under me that was capable of running up front with Dale, Jr., who had a really strong car. In the end, I just had nothing for him.

"Then on Sunday....anytime you come up on Earnhardt, Sr., he's going to be the toughest guy to pass, especially if he's leading the race. However, it was Bobby that figured out how to get by both of us for the win."

Heading into this weekend's NASCAR Busch Series race and the Pepsi 400 Winston Cup Series event, Gordon does not look to come up shy. And although it would seem difficult to improve upon last year's weekend average finish of 2.0, Gordon's average finish in the Pepsi 400 over the past three years is 1.67.

In 15 Winston Cup starts at Michigan Speedway, Gordon has one win, two poles, 11 top fives and 12 top 10's for an average finish of 5.5, and has completed 99.8 per cent of those laps.

"Michigan is one of those tracks that we've just hit on," said Gordon. "It's a nice wide track that allows a lot of passing. I enjoy racing here and look forward to both the Busch and Winston Cup races this weekend."

The first time Gordon ever raced at Michigan he qualified on the pole. That was the first Busch Series event held in 1992 at the 2.0-mile oval. Gordon went on to finish 19th. This year will be his third and final Busch Series race at Michigan.

"I look for Saturday's race to be a good one," said Gordon. "Not only is it my last Busch race here, but it's also Mark Martin's final year of Busch Series competition and it was Mark who I learned the most from when I first started racing in the Busch Series back in 1991.

"Not only has Mark been highly successful in the Busch Series, but he has been very successful at this track in Busch, Winston Cup and IROC."

The Busch Series final race of the season is at Homestead Miami Speedway and will be Gordon's last Busch Series event as he will focus entirely on his Winston Cup efforts in 2001.

Text provided by Kymberly Brantigan

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