Chase Update - Gordon’s Last Stand

By Adam Ruggiero
Love of Sports Correspondent

Jeff Gordon snagged the pole Friday at Texas Motor Speedway in an attempt to upend both his career winless streak there in Cup racing, as well as my earlier prediction this season that he’d finish 2008 without a win.

Though probably delicious, I refuse to eat my words.

Gordon’s fruitless season this year is an unprecedented blemish on his career. Not since 1993 – his second year in Cup – has he gone winless. In fact, he’s never done worse than two wins every year since then, so I need more than just a first-time pole win to bring me around on his chances.

Entering Sunday’s Dickies 500, Gordon’s Hendrick teammate, Jimmie Johnson, holds a 183-point lead on last week’s winner, Carl Edwards. Such a gap is almost four times the largest deficit ever overcome in a NASCAR title race with three races to go (1990, Dale Earnhardt made up 49 points on Mark Martin).

Still, Tony Stewart escaped my Power Ranking curse when I declared he, too, would remain winless this year. Of course, his win wasn’t without controversy. But I won’t cry foul; a win is a win … as long as NASCAR stays mum.

So, in keeping with the trend of surprise performances, yet also staying true to my otherwise sound predictions, I’m prognosticating that Jamie McMurray wins his first race since last year’s Pepsi 500, just the third of his career.

It’s been a rough go for the No.26 Roush-Fenway team, and many of McMurray’s supporters have jumped ship since he continually manages to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. But when J-Mac is good, he’s very good, and his fourth-spot starting position should be an excellent jumpstart to a successful day.

Chase Update

1. Jimmie Johnson (6,248 points)

2. Carl Edwards (-183)

3. Greg Biffle (-185)

4. Jeff Burton (-218)

5. Kevin Harvick (-307)

6. Jeff Gordon (-312)

7. Clint Bowyer (-314)

8. Tony Stewart (-401)

9. Matt Kenseth (-413)

10. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (-419)

11. Denny Hamlin (-425)

12. Kyle Busch (-465)