Gordon not discouraged by finish

For the 45th straight race, Jeff Gordon failed to win on Sunday.

It didn’t bother him a whit.

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AP

Jeff Gordon’s No. 24 car finished 6th in the Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway — where he made his debut in the 1992 Hooters 500.

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Gordon’s season of resurgence continued to the Kobalt Tools 500, where Kurt Busch outraced Gordon over the last half-lap to win by 0.33 seconds. But those wondering whether Gordon’s early success in 2009 has been genuine ought to be reconsidering.

He left Hampton as he arrived: the Sprint Cup points leader.

“Of course, I want to win and we’re close,” Gordon said. “But I’m not going to say we’re frustrated. I mean, we’re pretty happy with the way we’re running.”

In the season’s first four events, Gordon has now finished second twice and raced sixth last week in Las Vegas, where he was poised to make a run but shredded a tire with 65 laps to go and couldn’t make up the lost ground. But after a lackluster 2008, this rebound has become one of NASCAR’s biggest stories of the spring.

“It’s encouraging,” he said. “I’m a big believer that you have to walk before you can run. I think we’ve turned the corner. This team has really shown consistently in all four races this year that we can battle up front and for the win.

“I believe if we keep doing that, we’re going to win races.”

Following a sixth-place finish in last year’s points standings — average finish: 14.5 — the Hendricks No. 24 team took a full assessment of how all facets of the operation performed. Alterations were made from race-day set-ups all the way to Gordon’s physical fitness.

“Everything,” Gordon said. “The things they’ve been working on back in the shop. The set-ups that match my driving style. Some things I’ve been working on, being more physically fit. It’s everything.”

Starting in the eighth row Sunday, Gordon fought a balky clutch early on. During the initial pit stop, the car even lurched off the jack before Gordon ever put the car in gear.

But the No. 24 reached the front of the pack midway though the race and actually led for 47 straight laps after the 220-lap mark. But when the last caution guaranteed the final two-lap sprint, Gordon started third behind Busch and Carl Edwards. Though he quickly caught Edwards’ No. 99, he never had enough clearance to take his best run at Busch until coming out of Turn 2 on the final lap. Busch’s car was just too good this day.

“I needed to get clear to have an chance at the 2 [Busch],” Gordon said. “We’ll have to settle for second. But it’s a great day for us.”

Atlanta Motor Speedway was the site of Gordon’s debut in the 1992 Hooters 500, Richard Petty’s final race. By 1998, he had won the three series titles in four years, an amazing run that also marked his last cup title. Thus far, 2009 has made him believe something new.

“We’re going to win races,” he said.