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closeFour-time champ says part of the package is MIA
JIM UTTER
The Charlotte Observer
Sunday, Aug. 17, 2008
Jeff Gordon's crew works on his car during the 3M Performance 400 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Mich., Sunday, Aug. 17, 2008. Gordon's right-front tire blew and sent the car into the wall. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
BROOKLYN, Mich. - Jeff Gordon ended up in the garage - not necessarily of he or his team's doing - but was still discouraged with Sunday's performance, which included some sub-par pit stops.
On Lap 91, Gordon and Jimmie Johnson made contact on the track and both drivers ended up with tire trouble. Johnson drove to pit road under green to change tires while Gordon hit the wall six laps later when his damaged tire went down.
"We're ultimately responsible because our pit stops have just been terrible today," Gordon said. "You know we finally had an awesome race car and just didn't have the total package.
"We get the pit stops awesome and we can't get the car right. I'm relieved and now we just don't worry about anything. We can just drive as hard as we can, do anything we possibly can ... and see where we wind up."
The four-time Cup champion's 42nd-place finish dropped him three position in the series standings to ninth. He is 82 points ahead of 13th-place Clint Bowyer with three races remaining before the field for the Chase is set.