Gordon ties Waltrip, Allison with 84th win

Gordon ties Waltrip, Allison with 84th win

 

By Reid Spencer
Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service

 

(June 12, 2011)

 

LONG POND, Pa.—Jeff Gordon called his shot—and delivered.

 

“If we can just get out front, I think we’ll be OK,” Gordon told crew chief Alan Gustafson in the late stages of Sunday’s 5-Hour Energy 500 at Pocono Raceway.

 

Gordon’s words proved prophetic. Beating polesitter Kurt Busch out of the pits under caution for debris on Lap 156, Gordon streaked away from Juan Pablo Montoya after a Lap 160 restart and held on to win his second Sprint Cup race of the season and the 84th of his career, tying the four-time champion with Darrell Waltrip and Bobby Allison for third on the career victory list.

 

“You guys won that one in the pits—way to go,” Gordon said as he crossed the finish line.

 

A flawless green-flag pit stop on Lap 177 of the 200-lap race helped Gordon expand his lead over Busch, the race runner-up to more than two seconds. Gordon adroitly worked his way through traffic to win the race.

 

Kyle Busch ran third, followed by Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Series points leader Carl Edwards suffered an engine failure 58 laps into the race and finished 37th.