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 Gritting his way into NASCAR's playoffs without a win, Gordon has
picked up momentum by notching three consecutive top 10 finishes in
the Contender Round to advance to the eight-driver Eliminator Round
of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.
Now, Gordon gets to carry that momentum to the place where his eight
wins are tied for the track record among active drivers -
Martinsville Speedway. If he visits Victory Lane in Sunday's Goody's
Headache Relief 500 (1:15 p.m. ET on NBCSN) at the oval
affectionately referred to as "The Paperclip," Gordon will
automatically advance to the four-driver Championship Round race at
Homestead-Miami Speedway.
"We're carrying a lot of confidence and momentum and pride right now
knowing that we've had to grind it out just to get ourselves in the
Chase," Gordon said. "That grind and that fight that we have in us
is what we've been putting out there these last six weeks that has
gotten us to this round and now we get to continue that fight and
grind, but we get to do it at some tracks we have a legitimate shot
at competing for wins."
Martinsville has been Gordon's playground over his 23 full-time
seasons in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. In 45 starts at the
.526-mile track, he boasts 28 top fives and 36 top 10s in addition
to his eight wins. His 6.7 average finish and 6.681 average running
position are both series bests at Martinsville.
"I also know that it is the one track if I could put any track on
the schedule to give ourselves the opportunity to win at right now,
I would pick Martinsville," Gordon said.
The four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion sounds confident
about entering the Eliminator Round with little fanfare.
"I think the way we're performing right now, and I look at the
tracks we have coming up, yeah, I feel good about (our chances to
win a championship)," Gordon said. "We're still under the radar, and
still, I don't think anyone expects that to happen.
"And we like it that way."
Suarez eyes first career win at Martinsville
Daniel Suarez is getting quite the education in stock car racing
this year.
And he's passing with high marks.
With only three NASCAR national series starts to his credit entering
this season, Suarez has competed in 39 races in 2015 across the
NASCAR XFINITY and Camping World Truck Series, claiming 13 top-five
and 23 top-10 finishes. He ranks seventh in the XFINITY series
standings and has failed to post a top-10 showing just once in his
nine NCWTS starts.
Still, he is searching for his first NASCAR national series win.
Suarez gets his next chance to capture that elusive first victory in
Saturday's Kroger 200 at Martinsville Speedway (1:30 p.m. ET on FS1)
- a track where he started 11th and finished sixth in March.
"We had a good run (at Martinsville) earlier in the season and I
think I'm a much different driver and we're a better team than we
were back then," Suarez said. "We've been through a lot together as
a team since then and I think that will help us going back to a
track we've already run before."
Also, working in Suarez's favor is that his Kyle Busch Motorsports
team has won the last four fall races at Martinsville. Bubba Wallace
took the checkered flag at the .526-mile track the last two seasons,
while Denny Hamlin visited Victory Lane there in 2011 and 2012.
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"Our trucks have come a long ways since the spring race, as has
Daniel (Suarez)," said Jerry Baxter, crew chief of the No. 51 truck
Suarez will wheel. "He is a completely different driver at this
point than he was several months ago. The biggest difference is the
experience that he has gained in that time, which I think will be
the biggest help on Saturday. Our team has won there twice in the
last two years so I am confident in the weekend being successful."
Race Weekend Guide
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Race: Goody's Headache Relief 500
Place: Martinsville Speedway
Date and Time: Sunday at 1:15 p.m. ET
Tune-in: NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM Ch. 90
Distance: 263 miles (500 laps)
What to Watch for: The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series kicks off its
eight-driver Eliminator Round of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint
Cup. ... Joey Logano attempts to become the first driver since
Jimmie Johnson in 2007 to win four consecutive races. ... Joe Gibbs
Racing hopes to continue Martinsville success after placing three
drivers in the top five at the .526-mile track in March. ... Kevin
Harvick heads to Martinsville as he continues his 2014 title
defense. ... Denny Hamlin tries to sweep Martinsville after winning
there in the spring. ... Dale Earnhardt Jr. goes for his second
straight fall win at "The Paperclip."
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
Race: Kroger 200
Place: Martinsville Speedway
Date and Time: Saturday at 1:30 p.m. ET
Tune-in: FS1, MRN, SiriusXM Ch. 90
Distance: 105.2 miles (200 laps)
What to Watch for: Erik Jones attempts to extend his 18-point lead
in the championship standings with four races remaining. ... Ross
Kenseth, son of 2003 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Matt Kenseth,
and Austin Cindric, son of Team Penske President Tim Cindric, will
make their NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debuts at Martinsville.
... Three current members of the NASCAR Next initiative showcasing
the sport's up-and-coming drivers are on Saturday's entry list:
Austin Hill, Cole Custer, Dalton Sargeant and John Hunter Nemechek.
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