Jeff Gordon focused on winning, not retirement

Winless and sitting squarely on the bubble to make the Chase for the Sprint Cup wasn’t how Jeff Gordon envisioned his final season unfolding.

But through a combination of mistakes, bad luck and under-performance, that’s the reality facing the four-time Cup Series champion. Gordon is 11th in the standings with six regular season races remaining and should qualify for the playoffs, barring a total collapse.

However, even a bit of a points cushion offers no guarantees.

“Our team is very capable of getting ourselves in the Chase, but we want more than that,” Gordon said Friday at Pocono Raceway. “We want to be battling for wins and we’re fighting extremely hard to do that. We know what a win can do in securing that spot. But, we’re also a strong team that has overcome adversity in the past and we’re going to fight all the way through Richmond (the regular season finale) to make sure that no matter what, whether it’s by points or with a win, that we get ourselves in there.”

Gordon’s plight to get into the Chase became more arduous when he wrecked in last Sunday’s race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He spun and crashed into the outside wall after trying to avoid Clint Bowyer’s spinning.

The resulting damage sent Gordon to the garage for repairs. Although he returned to the track, he would finish 42nd and lose 36 points to Bowyer, the holder of the final Chase spot who recovered to finish sixth.

Drivers who win a race and finish 30th or better in the point standings earn a Chase berth. If there are less than 16 winners to fill out the playoff grid, those highest in points claim the final positions.

Thirty seven points now separate Gordon and Bowyer entering Sunday’s race.

“Well, I was feeling a lot more secure going into Indianapolis,” Gordon said. “Obviously, having a bad finish like that can shake things up in a hurry.”

Because of how his season has gone, Gordon hasn’t been able to enjoy the fanfare accompanying his pending retirement.

“I’m so focused on the competition and trying to compete at a high level and trying to get ourselves in a position to win the race and be in the Chase, I just haven’t been able to allow that to sink in,” Gordon said. “I know it will at some point. But I don’t know exactly when.

“I have a team that’s putting everything they have into it and I’m just trying to do the same as a driver. That’s really limited my ability to let it sink in and the finality of things.”