Standing in Gordon’s way from a fairy tale exit to his NASCAR career are the other title contenders – Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr, and reigning Sprint Cup champion Kevin Harvick.
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Larson had led most of the race early and cleared Austin Dillon for good with four laps left for his third career Xfinity win.
Jeff Gordon was the best of NASCAR’s four title contenders in the final practice before NASCAR’s championship-deciding season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Truex doesn’t need a win to secure the Sprint Cup, just a better finish than Busch, Gordon or Harvick, and Hansen was speculative about which drivers on the track Sunday might be willing to help the one-car outfit of Furniture Row. (174.498 mph) will start fifth and 11th, respectively, with defending champion Kevin Harvick taking the green from the 13th starting spot.
Jeff Gordon still has the special memento from his first race in what is now NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series.
“We were talking with (Helton) about what’s the scenario going to be with me coming back”, Busch said.
Given the focus on the four contenders, Hamlin introduced himself as “Mr. Irrelevant” when he took the podium for the pole winner’s press conference.
“Whew, it wasn’t easy”, said Gordon, who came close to being eliminated at the end of the first of the three rounds of qualifying.
A year ago, he seized his opportunity with a relentless dash through the field, picking off auto after vehicle to win the race and claim his first championship. More than 20 years of Gordon winning races and dominating the headlines gave Smith plenty of material.
So what impact will his final race have on NASCAR? In fact, it’s supposed to rain off and on all day tomorrow and NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France went on the record as saying NASCAR will not alter its race-day procedures with the championship on the line. Why he will win: He might just be the best driver going in terms of talent.
That win turned the final three weeks of his career into a whirlwind of party planning and preparing to host family and friends on Sunday.
“We’re not going to react to anything that’s part of the traditional part of hard, aggressive racing”, France said. “I didn’t push it near hard enough to make it through”, Gordon said. “(Retiring on top) is something I’m sure has been done in sport, but I don’t think it’s ever been done in this sport. I think that those comments and suggestions of how you handle your week have just rolled over into things that we’ve done this year, and you just don’t let those types of situations overwhelm you.
“Man, top five?! Are you kidding me?!” He’ll try to win his fourth series championship at the Homestead-Miami Speedway in his final race.
In the final race of his storied career, Gordon could win his fifth Cup championship.
“I’m anticipating Sunday being truly insane”, he said.
He continued to run just well enough to advance through the first two rounds of the Chase. We’ll see what happens, but that’s too much for me to think about.
Gordon, awaiting his time at the podium, yelled from the back of the room: “I was shocked!” He even thinks Truex’s former teammates at Richard Childress Racing could lend a hand, giving upwards of six cars of support between RCR and Toyota.
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“For the last couple of years, you can tell he reacts in the vehicle differently”.
