If you've followed NASCAR at all, you know that Texas Motor Speedway has been nothing short of a story in frustration for Jeff Gordon.
In the inaugural race at the track, Gordon was out front when Ernie Irvan bounced off a slower lapped car on the frontstretch and took him out. He's cut a tire and pounded the turn four wall hard enough to leave him briefly stunned inside the cockpit. And two years ago, he was leading late in the race until he brushed the wall off turn four and fell back.
Then, of course, no one can forget what happened to the No. 24 team just this past April, as he had what could easily be described as the worst race of his career. Simply, Gordon's car was uncontrollable and he evantually lost control and crashed early in the event.
Obviously, Texas has not been Jeff Gordon's friend, so seeing the four-time champion on the pole for Sunday's Dickies 500 (didja hear we're live bloggin' it?) at the Fort Worth track is certainly somewhat of a surprise given the season that Gordon has had.
For the first time in 14 years, Gordon is facing the very, very real possibility of going an entire Sprint Cup season without a trip to victory lane despite the fact that he is an eligible driver in the Chase for the Sprint Cup. And this 2008 season comes on the heels of a what many could have considered to be one of Gordon's best ever in 2007 that saw the driver finish in Top-10 30 of 36 times.
Could Texas Motor Speedway end up being the saving grace for Gordon's season, or more accurately, for his spirits as the series heads to the offseason? There's 500 miles left between here and the finish line on Sunday afternoon in the Lone Star State, but you've got to bet Gordon will be pouring all he can into picking up a win.
He's got the qualifying spot, he was decent in practice and he's got a plethora of people who won't stop talking about the winless streak. All of that should add up for a good afternoon for Gordon.
Gordon Seems Primed for Texas Reverse originally appeared on NASCAR FanHouse on Sat, 01 Nov 2008 17:22:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.
