Jeff Gordon Breaks Winless Streak At Texas!

Finally! The drought is over! It is amazing that I need to feel this way. But to watch my favorite driver go 47 races without a victory was gut wrenching. Some drivers go their entire career without ever tasting the sweetness of driving to Victory Lane. However, for a driver as decorated as Jeff Gordon, 81 career victories, going 47 races without one was somewhat shocking.

Some say he is past his prime. Some say that family vlaues have derailed him from his competitive spirit. Some say the “Drive for 5” isn’t possible. I say, you’re friggin’ nuts! The 24 looks as good, if not better, than he did two years ago when he came up just short to Jimmie Johnson for the title.

The four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion had to hold off the 48 the last 26 laps to win the Samsung 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.

This one, the 82nd win of Gordon’s fabled career, was a dandy. It came on a day when a bunch of hard-charging drivers had the lead at one time or another.

Trailing Gordon and Johnson was Greg Biffle and another former champion Tony Stewart, who continues to impress veterans in the sport with his performance as an owner-driver. Both Stewart and Biffle led the event during the highly-competitive race.

Matt Kenseth, another former champ and another race leader, was fifth with ageless Mark Martin sixth.

Juan Pablo Montoya was seventh and Kurt Busch eighth. Jeff Burton was ninth and Carl Edwards, another of the numerous race leaders, finished 10th.

Fastest qualifier David Reutimann, another race leader, wound up 11th after missing his pit stall and losing a lap about halfway through the race.

Kyle Busch, a frontrunner at one point in the race, wound up 18th after a self-imposed accident cost him valuable laps.

Six caution flags slowed the field during the afternoon for minor incidents.

The first caution of the afternoon came out on Lap 97, a record number of laps run without a caution at the track. Obviously, the caution created a flurry of pit road activity with the Kenseth and Biffle crews getting their drivers back on the track first.

Gordon led the first lap on a wind-blown afternoon that promised plenty of competition over the one-and-a-half-mile tri-oval. Pole winner Reutimann quickly went back to the front and Daytona 500 winner Kenseth passed Gordon for second. Paul Menard, who shows more promise every race, followed suit and moved Gordon, the series point leader, to fourth.

On Lap 156, Elliott Sadler spun off Turn 4 bringing out the second caution of the day. Fortunately, all the leaders had pitted and Biffle was out front. The order didn’t change much after the caution except for Mark Martin, who had jumped into ninth spot after the cycle of pit stops. Reutimann, Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch were penalized for pit road violations. Reutimann missed his pit box. Harvick was too fast exiting pit road and Busch was too fast entering pit road.

Johnson and his crew chief Chad Knaus made three stops under this caution to make changes on the defending champion’s Chevy. Johnson had not been much of a contender at this point in the race.

At the halfway point, 167 laps, Biffle led with Kenseth right behind him. Gordon was third and Stewart fourth. Ragan, showing some strength, was fifth ahead of Kurt Busch. Burton was next with Edwards, Montoya and Martin rounding out the top 10. Earnhardt was 11th and Johnson 12th.

Jeff Gordon maintains his point lead following his win at Texas. Jimmie Johnson is second, followed by Kurt Busch in third. Clint Bowyer, Tony Stewart, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth, Kasey Kahne, David Reutimann, and Jeff Burton round out the top 12.

Great to see Gordo maintaining his consistency and dominating the early part of the season. For this 24 fan, I can only hope that he keeps it up, as we all know by now that peaking at the right time is critical. The Chase isn’t for some time, and you can bet the 48 will have something to say about winning it all. The 3-time defending champion is running incredibly well now too, and will have his own desires in place on a 4-peat!

What a season it is shaping up to be for this 24 fan! The “Drive for 5” is alive and kicking!