Jeff Gordon looking to change luck in Las Vegas

Everything began with the appropriate pomp and circumstance befitting a legend, a four-time series champion. During the offseason everyone spoke fondly, wistfully and in glowing terms regarding Jeff Gordon, his impact and all he meant to NASCAR. He himself spoke openly about winning another title.

The swan song, if you will, started off quite well. In Daytona 500 qualifying, Gordon took the pole-position and then led the race for 87 laps.

From there, however, things have spiraled in the wrong direction.

Misjudgment in the draft dropped Gordon back in traffic, eventually leading to him getting entangled in a final lap multi-car wreck. He finished 33rd.

The next week Gordon never even made it onto the track for qualifying, as an issue getting through inspection precluded the No. 24 car from turning a lap. Things didn’t go much better in the race, with Gordon again getting swept into an accident not of his creation, made all the worse when he plowed into a concrete wall devoid of a SAFER barrier. He finished 41st at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

“Obviously, it’s not the way we want to start our season,” Gordon said.

Just by happenstance, Gordon finds himself in the city where so many travel to when they’re looking to turn around their misfortune -- Las Vegas, the site of Sunday’s Kobalt 400.

“Here we are in Vegas and we are talking about gambling and playing the odds, that is the way I look at crashes,” Gordon said. “Last year I didn’t hit much, I didn’t crash a whole lot. We had a really solid season. Those percentages and odds kind of catch up to you. I’m hoping we are getting them out of the way here early in the season.”

Raising the odds of a season-changing run Sunday includes the No. 24 team bringing a chassis Gordon won twice with last season at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Michigan International Speedway.

Whatever mojo he sought, Gordon certainly found in qualifying. For the first time in Las Vegas Motor Speedway history, the No. 24 car is on the pole thanks to Gordon laying down a track-record 194.679 mph lap. -- a perfect start to a much-needed turnaround.

“I’m just so proud of this team and keeping their heads up,” Gordon said. “Last week was a tough one, and this is a great, great way to start out weekend here in Las Vegas.”

Ah, but as happens so many times in Sin City, one minute you’re on top, the next you’re crapping out. And in final practice Saturday, Gordon rolled snake eyes.

With mere minutes remaining, Danica Patrick looped her car off Turn 2, leaving Gordon nowhere to go. The damage to the nose of the 24 car that brought him much success in 2014 will force Gordon into a backup Sunday. And with it, he will have to forfeit the pole and start at the rear.

A weekend and day once filled with promise has quickly taken on a different complexion, an all-too-familiar theme for Gordon in 2015.

“Just when u think everything is starting to go your way 10 spins in front of u & ruins ur day & the @3MRacing @TeamChevy. Going to backup!” Gordon wrote on Twitter.

The backup Gordon will wheel Sunday isn’t unproven. Last year he drove the car to second-place finishes in the Chase for the Sprint Cup races at Chicagoland Speedway and Charlotte Motor Speedway.

But with Saturday’s accident coming late, there was no time to perform a shakedown or fine-tune, far from an ideal situation for a driver sitting 35th in points who harbors realistic title hopes.

If there’s solace to be had, it’s that Gordon has a history of recovering from slow starts. In 1996 he began the season with consecutive accidents and finishes of 42nd and 40th. Yet, he still went on to win 10 races and placed runner-up in points.

That rebound not only came in a shorter 31-race season (the current schedule consists of 36 races) but didn’t feature the more forgiving Chase, where all a driver has to do is win once and they are essentially playoff eligible.

“It’s not how you start, it is how you finish,” Gordon said. “Because that year we finished pretty darn good, we almost won the championship. I’m hoping that is the kind of season that we have ahead of us.”