On Verge Of Victory

Gordon Nabs Points Lead, On Verge Of Victory

For the first time in half a decade – 174 races for those counting – Jeff Gordon holds the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points lead. His last points lead came after the 2009 Coca-Cola 600, following a start to the season that saw a win and two runner-ups in the first seven races.

He’s enjoying similar success this year, scoring four consecutive top 10s to start the season. His runner-up finish at Texas gives him three top fives this season. He had eight all of last year.

What does all this mean? Well, possibly nothing if he doesn’t win a race.

With seven winners in the first seven races, available spots in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup are rapidly depleting. Only nine spots remain in the 16-driver playoff field.

One of those could go to the points leader, if winless. So, Gordon has that going for him, which is nice.

But a win would put him on much firmer ground when the Chase field is set following Richmond in September. And this weekend’s race at Darlington Raceway seems as good a time as any for the breakthrough victory.

A seven-time Darlington winner, Gordon finished third in last year’s Darlington race. From 2004-2010, Gordon strung together a streak of seven consecutive top-five Darlington finishes.

Threat Is Real: Team Penske On Championship Fast Track

Drivers haven’t been shy in divulging the secret to championship success since the inception of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup in 2004.

The not so secret: Crush on 1.5-mile tracks.

Tracks measuring 1.5 miles in length populate half the Chase, including the all-important season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Joining Homestead in the Chase are Chicagoland Speedway, Kansas Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway.

And one team above all has risen above the fray, nailing the new completion rules package and excelling on the two 1.5-mile tracks the series has run so far – Team Penske.

They’ve swept the 1.5-mile tracks, with Brad Keselowski taking Las Vegas and Joey Logano powering his way to a Texas win.

Logano was likewise strong at Vegas, finishing fourth. Keselowski was on his way to a top-five finish – and possibly a win – if not for a pit-road speeding penalty prior to the final restart. He finished 15th.

And this season, that’s especially meaningful. The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship race at Homestead is a “winner-take-all” affair, with the top finisher among the final four winning this year’s title.