Jeff Gordon leads active drivers with 18 Richmond top-fives

Jeff Gordon is 20/1 to win at Richmond Saturday.

Jeff Gordon on filling in for the No. 88 team

“I was just happy to do what is best for the team. We sat down and looked at the tracks and decided what would be best for everyone. These (Darlington, Richmond, Dover, Martinsville) are all tracks I feel very confident at.

“This (No. 88) team loves Dale (Earnhardt) Jr. and wants him back. They are in a really tough situation here, where not only are they missing Junior, but they have two different drivers filling in. But, they’ve handled it amazingly. Their demeanor and attitude about it has been phenomenal. It has really been a great experience for me. I’ve spent so much time with the No. 24 team that going into the shop with the 48/88 guys and spending time with (No. 88 team crew chief) Greg (Ives) and their team has been great for my overall Hendrick knowledge and has allowed me to bond with those guys, as well as the bond I have with my (No. 24) guys, and see how the teams work separately and together.”

BACK FOR MORE: With Dale Earnhardt Jr. out for the remainder of the 2016 season, Jeff Gordon will again fill in for him this weekend at Richmond International Raceway. It will be the sixth race that the four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion has driven for Earnhardt and the No. 88 team. Gordon’s best finish (11th) in the No. 88 came at the Bristol short track, so Richmond, also a short track, may provide a good opportunity for the team to earn a top-10 finish. He will also fill in for Earnhardt at Dover International Speedway (Oct. 2) and Martinsville Speedway (Oct. 30). He is the defending race winner at Martinsville, which propelled him to a spot in the “Championship 4” of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup in 2015.

RICHMOND STATS: Gordon has two victories at the 0.75-mile, D-shaped oval and an average finish of 13.3. He also has an impressive qualifying history at Richmond, earning six poles -- the most of any active driver -- in addition to holding the track qualifying record at 130.599 mph, which he set on Sept. 7, 2013. His average starting position is 8.3 in 46 starts, the best of any active driver at the Richmond, Virginia, facility. He also leads all active drivers at Richmond in top-five finishes (18), top-10s (30), lead-lap finishes (33) and laps led (1,637).

AXALTA PARTNER: Axalta is able to leverage its sponsorship of the No. 88 Axalta Chevrolet SS at Hendrick Motorsports to add value for its partners. This weekend in Richmond, Axalta will have one of its distributors, National Coatings & Supplies (NCS) on the TV panel and rear roof strip of the No. 88 Axalta Chevrolet. For more news and updates on the Axalta Racing program, visit their website:http://www.axaltaracing.com/.

CLOSE TO HOME: Adam Jordan, interior mechanic for the No. 88 team, grew up in Timberville, Virginia, about two-and-a-half hours northwest of the Richmond racetrack. His job as a painter in a body shop led him to meet someone who helped lead him to a career in racing. A few years later, Jordan moved to North Carolina and made his way to Hendrick Motorsports after working for another Cup team for a couple of years. In 2014, Earnhardt and the No. 88 team won the Daytona 500, which Jordan names as his most memorable moment in NASCAR.

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2016 Season 5 starts 0 wins 0 pole positions 0 top-five finishes 0 top-10 finishes 0 laps led     Career 802 starts 93 wins 81 pole positions 325 top-five finishes 475 top-10 finishes 24,929 laps led     Track Career  46 starts 2 wins 6 pole positions 18 top-five finishes 30 top-10 finishes 1,637 laps led

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Jeff Gordon's last Watkins Glen top-five came in 2001 win

Jeff Gordon to fill in for Dale Earnhardt Jr at Watkins Glen this week.

Jeff Gordon on continuing in his role as the substitute driver for Dale Earnhardt Jr.
“I am committed to be there for Hendrick Motorsports and this (No. 88) team in any way that they need me. I think there is a balance between trying to make this transition. First of all, you want Dale (Earnhardt Jr.) to have the comfort of knowing that somebody is there for him, so he doesn’t have to worry about that aspect of it through this process. He can just get well at the pace that is the right pace to do it. So, nobody is putting any pressure or timeframe on that. Then there is the side of who is the best person to be in the car to get the most points, and there is the sponsorship side of it as well. So far from what Rick (Hendrick) is telling me, that seems to be me.

“I am looking at this as a very temporary thing. I’m really more excited right now about my engagement at Hendrick Motorsports and helping Rick (Hendrick) and Doug Duchardt and Ken Howes and Marshall Carlson and everybody there trying to find out where we can be better, how we can be more competitive and that role in those meetings more so than driving the race car. But, being in the race car does help me do a better job with that as well.”


Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the No. 88 Chevrolet, will be available to members of the media on Friday, Aug. 5, at 12 p.m. ET in the Watkins Glen International media center.

EARNHARDT UPDATE: Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the No. 88 Chevrolet SS for Hendrick Motorsports, has not been cleared by physicians to compete in at least the next two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events. It will be the fourth consecutive race he has missed as he continues to recover from a concussion. Earnhardt underwent further evaluation Tuesday at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Sports Medicine Concussion Program. The driver said on his weekly The Dale Jr. Download podcast that he continues to experience issues with balance and gaze stabilization.

KEEPING ON: Four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon will drive the No. 88 Chevrolet SS for the third week in a row. Gordon, who filled in for Earnhardt at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (July 24) and Pocono Raceway (Aug. 1), will compete this weekend at the newly repaved, 2.45-mile Watkins Glen road course. Gordon, who will celebrate his 45th birthday on Thursday, will fill in for Earnhardt a fourth time in the Aug. 20 event at Bristol Motor Speedway.

MILESTONE START: Gordon, who will be driving the No. 88 Axalta Chevrolet SS at Watkins Glen, will make his 800th career NASCAR Cup Series start this weekend. He has made all 799 of his career Cup starts while driving for car owner Rick Hendrick. In addition to his four championships (1995, 1997, 1998 and 2001), Gordon has earned 93 Cup victories, which ranks him third on the all-time wins list. He’s a three-time Daytona 500 winner, a record five-time Brickyard 400 winner and has seven wins at Darlington Raceway. He has racked up 81 poles, which also ranks him third on the all-time pole award winner’s list, 325 top-five finishes, 475 top-10s and has led a total of 24,929 laps in his 24-year career.

KING OF THE ROAD: Gordon is NASCAR’s all-time leader with nine road course victories, including four at Watkins Glen, which is one shy of the track record of five held by Tony Stewart. Gordon is the all-time lap leader at the seven-turn facility with 262 laps led, 37 more than Stewart who ranks second.

AXALTA PARTNER: Axalta is able to leverage its sponsorship of the No. 88 Axalta Chevrolet SS at Hendrick Motorsports to add value for its partners. This weekend at the Glen, Axalta will have Lithia Motors Inc. on the TV panel of the No. 88 Axalta Chevrolet SS. The Oregon-based auto retailer recently expanded with the purchase of DCH Auto Group, whose name will be featured on the rear roof strip of the No. 88 Chevrolet. For more news and updates on the Axalta Racing program, visit the website: http://www.axaltaracing.com/.

TIES TO HOME: No. 88 spotter T.J. Majors, who is known for his calls of “Door. Bumper. Clear.” over the in-car radio, lists Watkins Glen International as his home track. He was born in New Castle, Pennsylvania, but grew up in East Bethany, New York, before moving to Mooresville, North Carolina, where he lives with wife Tamela and daughter Madelynn. Majors, who was introduced to Earnhardt via online iRacing in 1997, began spotting for the driver at the end of the 2007 season and has continued with the Hendrick Motorsports No. 88 team since Earnhardt joined in 2008. He also spots for a variety of teams in other series, including Earnhardt’s JR Motorsports.

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2016 Season 2 starts 0 wins 0 pole positions 0 top-five finishes 0 top-10 finishes 0 laps led     Career 799 starts 93 wins 81 pole positions 325 top-five finishes 475 top-10 finishes 24,929 laps led     Track Career  23 starts 4 wins 3 pole positions 6 top-five finishes 9 top-10 finishes 262 laps led

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. not cleared to race at Watkins Glen or Bristol; Jeff Gordon to fill in again

Dale Earnhardt Jr. from last years race at Watkins Glen.

CONCORD, N.C. (Aug. 2, 2016) – Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the No. 88 Chevrolet SS for Hendrick Motorsports, has not been cleared by physicians to compete in at least the next two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events as he continues to recover from a concussion. He will miss the races at Watkins Glen International (Aug. 7) and Bristol Motor Speedway (Aug. 20).

Earnhardt underwent further evaluation today at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Sports Medicine Concussion Program. The driver said Monday on his weekly “The Dale Jr. Download” podcast that he continues to experience issues with balance and gaze stabilization.

“We have a break in the schedule after Watkins Glen, so the extra week of recovery time will certainly be a benefit,” said Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports. “Dale will be back when he’s ready, and we’re looking forward to that happening, but the priority continues to be his health and well-being. We’ll keep our focus on that and let the doctors guide us.”

Jeff Gordon will be the team’s substitute driver at the Watkins Glen road course, where he will make his 800th career NASCAR Cup start, and Bristol. He is NASCAR’s all-time leader with nine road course victories, including four at Watkins Glen. The four-time series champion, who has five wins at Bristol, has made all 799 of his career Cup starts while driving for car owner Hendrick.

Gordon, who will turn 45 on Thursday, also filled in for Earnhardt on July 24 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Aug. 1 at Pocono Raceway. Alex Bowman drove for the No. 88 team July 17 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

MEDIA NOTE: Driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be available to members of the media Friday at 12 p.m. ET in the Watkins Glen International media center.

Transition for Jeff Gordon into No. 88 at Brickyard should be easy

Jeff Gordon is 20/1 to win for sixth time at Brickyard on Sunday.

No. 88 team crew chief Greg Ives on Jeff Gordon subbing in the No. 88
“First and foremost, the main goal right now is to make sure Dale (Earnhardt Jr.) is on the proper path to recovery and that he doesn’t have the stress of having to return to the car before he is completely ready. Our thoughts are with him through all the testing and waiting that he has to go through.

“As far as going to Indy with Jeff Gordon, it’s definitely going to be a little bit of a different atmosphere. With him coming back for the two fill-in races, there is going to be a lot of media attention, especially in his home state, so we’ll just need to concentrate and focus on the task at hand. We are getting to work with one of the most iconic figures in NASCAR, who has helped get the sport to where it is today.”

Ives on prepping the car for Gordon at Indianapolis
“The difference from what we had to prep for with Alex (Bowman) last week is that Alex fit in Dale’s seat and we didn’t have to make a lot of adjustments to the steering wheel, headrests or seatbelts. But with Jeff (Gordon), we already know all of his dimensions and have the seats, seatbelts and everything that he felt comfortable in when he ran the last race at Homestead in 2015, so we were able to have access to all that. Everyone in the 5/24 shop, the 48/88 shop and the composite shop have all been able to work together so we have the ability to get Jeff’s seat and everything in the car just exactly the way he last remembered it."

Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick and Jeff Gordon, substitute driver of the No. 88 Axalta Chevrolet SS, will be available to members of the media on Friday, July 22, at 10:30 a.m. ET in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway media center.

EARNHARDT UPDATE: Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the No. 88 Chevrolet SS for Hendrick Motorsports, has not been cleared by physicians to compete in at least the next two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events as he continues to recover from concussion-like symptoms. He will miss the races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (July 24) and Pocono Raceway (July 31). Indianapolis will mark the second consecutive event he will miss after not competing Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Earnhardt underwent further evaluation Tuesday at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Sports Medicine Concussion Program. The driver said this week on his “The Dale Jr. Download” podcast that he has been experiencing issues with balance and nausea. He will not travel to Indianapolis or Pocono. A timetable has not yet been established for his return.

GORDON RETURNS: Four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon will return to step in for Earnhardt and drive the No. 88 Chevrolet SS at both Indianapolis and Pocono. Gordon, who grew up in nearby Pittsboro, Indiana, most recently raced in the 2015 Sprint Cup season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway and started a new role in the broadcast booth with FOX this season, in addition to continuing his role as an equity owner of Hendrick Motorsports. Gordon has made all 797 of his career Cup starts for car owner Rick Hendrick. He competed in his 23rd and final full-time Sprint Cup Series season in 2015.

TOPS AT INDY: Gordon, driver of the No. 88 Axalta Chevrolet SS, leads the following NASCAR Sprint Cup Series statistical categories at Indianapolis Motor Speedway: wins (five), poles (three), top-five finishes (12, five more than any other driver), top-10s (17, six more than second) and laps led (528). Gordon is also the youngest Cup Series winner at the 2.5-mile oval, having earned his first victory there on Aug. 6, 1994, when he was just 23 years and two days old.

TIED WITH SCHUMACHER: The 44-year-old driver’s five victories at the Brickyard are tied with former Formula 1 driver Michael Schumacher for most among drivers at the famed speedway. Gordon visited Victory Lane in the inaugural event in 1994 and again in 1998, 2001, 2004 and 2014 on the 2.5-mile oval. Schumacher’s wins occurred on the road-course layout at the historic track.

AXALTA: Gordon will fill in starting during a week when the familiar yellow, orange and red Axalta colors will adorn the No. 88 Chevy. Axalta, formerly known as DuPont Performance Coatings, was a 23-year partner on Gordon’s famed No. 24 Chevrolet, and he continues to have a role with the company as its global ambassador. As part of its business-to-business marketing model, Axalta will place one of its vendors, Precoat Metals, on the TV panel of the No. 88 Axalta Chevrolet SS at Indy. Precoat Metals is a leading supplier of coil coating services. For more news and updates on the Axalta Racing program, check out their new website: http://www.axaltaracing.com/.

BOWMAN RECAP: Last weekend in Loudon, New Hampshire, Alex Bowman filled in for Earnhardt and drove the No. 88 Nationwide Chevy to a 26th-place finish. The result didn’t reflect Bowman’s efforts, as he was running solidly inside the top 10 before a flat tire caused him to make contact with the outside wall. Bowman, who races part-time for Earnhardt’s JR Motorsports team in the NASCAR XFINITY Series, was making his fifth Sprint Cup start at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. He also drove the No. 88 for JR Motorsports in Saturday’s XFINITY race, earning an eighth-place finish.

TEAM CHEVY STAGE: Gordon will be at the Team Chevy stage alongside teammate Johnson for a question-and-answer session in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway infield on Sunday, July 24, at 12:05 p.m. local time.

THE LINEMAKERS' MICAH ROBERTS ON GORDON'S ODDS
FIELD 20/1 - Usually, this is terrible bet, but because of Jeff Gordon being part of it, it's a now great bet. Sure, he hasn't raced since November, but he's got a solid car that was set-up well enough to finish second at Pocono in June. Gordon has his own personal knowledge of the track, he has Johnson's notes from last weeks test and has a track record 12 top-five finishes, including winning the inaugural race in 1994. This will be the most popular bet of the week in Las Vegas sports books every where and 20-to-1 will be long gone by the time practices begin Friday. So if you like him, bet it now.

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2016 Season 0 starts 0 wins 0 pole positions 0 top-five finishes 0 top-10 finishes 0 laps led     Career 797 starts 93 wins 81 pole positions 325 top-five finishes 475 top-10 finishes 24,929 laps led     Track Career  22 starts 5 wins 3 pole positions 12 top-five finish 17 top-10 finishes 528 laps led

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Jeff Gordon to drive No. 88 at Brickyard this weekend

Jeff Gordon is 20/1 to win as part of the 'Field' this week at Brickyard

CONCORD, N.C. (July 20, 2016) – Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the No. 88 Chevrolet SS for Hendrick Motorsports, has not been cleared by physicians to compete in at least the next two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events as he continues to recover from concussion-like symptoms. He will miss the races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (July 24) and Pocono Raceway (July 31).

Four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon will be the team’s substitute driver at Indianapolis and Pocono. He most recently raced in the 2015 Sprint Cup season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Gordon, who grew up in Pittsboro, Indiana, ranks third all-time with 93 career victories in the series, including six at Pocono and five in the Brickyard 400 – both records.

Earnhardt underwent further evaluation Tuesday at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Sports Medicine Concussion Program. The driver said this week on his “The Dale Jr. Download” podcast that he has been experiencing issues with balance and nausea. He will not travel to Indianapolis or Pocono.

“Our focus is giving Dale all the time he needs to recover,” said Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports. “There’s nothing we want more than to see him back in the race car, but we’ll continue to listen to the doctors and follow their lead. What’s best for Dale is what’s best for Hendrick Motorsports and everyone involved with the team. We’re all proud of him and looking forward to having him racing soon.”

Gordon, 44, has made all 797 of his career Cup starts for car owner Hendrick. He competed in his 23rd and final full-time Sprint Cup Series season in 2015.

“Jeff’s a team player,” Hendrick said. “I know he’ll be ready, and I know Dale has incredible trust in him. It’s going to be an emotional weekend (at Indianapolis) with Dale not being there and seeing Jeff back behind the wheel. Greg (Ives) and the team did a great job at New Hampshire, and they have the full support of our organization.”

MEDIA NOTE: Car owner Rick Hendrick and driver Jeff Gordon will be available to members of the media Friday at 10:30 a.m. ET in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway media center. Earnhardt will not be available for interviews this week or next.

Jeff Gordon tries for sixth Dover win; Vegas odds at 25/1

Jeff Gordon is 25/1 to win at Dover Sunday...nice value!

No. 24 AARP Member Advantages Chevrolet SS / Jeff Gordon

Driver: Jeff Gordon 

Hometown: Pittsboro, Indiana
Age: 44 

Resides: Charlotte, North Carolina

Jeff Gordon, driver of the No. 24 AARP Member Advantages Chevrolet SS, is scheduled to visit the Dover International Speedway media center at 1:30 p.m. local time Friday.

Jeff Gordon on racing at Dover

“Dover is definitely a physical track. Once rubber starts getting laid down on this racetrack, it’s a little rough. Every time they do a patch (on the track), that piece of concrete is a different texture than the other pieces and you have different grip levels. You are constantly fighting between push-loose, push-loose and you are just working the steering wheel constantly. Not to mention the G-loads that you pull are pretty significant. These are big corners, high-banked with a lot of grip. You are working hard each lap.”

NEW NASCAR IRON MAN: Last Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Jeff Gordon set the record for most consecutive starts in NASCAR history with 789. Gordon also holds the longest consecutive starts streak from the beginning of a career – he has never missed a race since his Nov. 15, 1992, debut at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
DEFENDING RACE WINNER AT DOVER: On Sept. 28, 2014, the four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion led 94 laps on the one-mile track en route to his 92nd career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory.
LAST SIX IN ‘FIRST STATE’: In the last six NASCAR Sprint Cup events on the concrete track, Gordon has six top-15 finishes including finishes of first, second, third and fourth.
ACTIVE LEADER: Gordon’s 18 top-five finishes and 26 top-10s are tops among active drivers at the concrete track while he is tied with Ryan Newman for most pole positions among active drivers with four.
NEARING 25K: Gordon is 128 shy of 25,000 career laps led.
UP FRONT AT DOVER: Gordon, driver of the No. 24 AARP Member Advantages Chevrolet SS, has led 200 or more laps on five occasions at Dover. In September of 1995, he led 400 of 500 laps en route to his first victory at the high-banked track, and he paced the field for 381 of 400 laps in June 2001 to capture his fourth victory. In May 1998, Gordon led 375 of 400 laps but finished third after a late-race pit stop for fuel.
MEMBER ADVANTAGES AT DOVER: AARP Member Advantages will sponsor four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Gordon’s No. 24 Chevrolet SS to spread awareness about the many benefits available to AARP members. The special AARP Member Advantages paint scheme – which debuted at Sonoma Raceway on June 28 – will be featured in six Sprint Cup Series events in 2015 and is part of Hendrick Motorsports’ existing partnership with Drive to End Hunger, which is AARP and AARP Foundation’s multi-year effort to raise awareness of and support for the fight against older adult hunger. AARP Member Advantages is a collection of discounts, products, services and insurance programs available to AARP’s millions of members through third party providers. The provider offers include a variety of health products, financial products, travel and leisure products, and life event services.

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2015 Season 10th in standings 28 starts 0 wins 3 pole positions 3 top-five finishes 14 top-10 finishes 208 laps led     Career 789 starts 92 wins 80 pole positions 323 top-five finishes 468 top-10 finishes 24,872 laps led     Track Career  45 starts 5 wins 4 pole positions 18 top-five finishes 26 top-10 finishes 2,389 laps led

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Gordon tops the charts during final Watkins Glen practice

Don't expect 15/1 odds on Jeff Gordon anymore after final practice speeds.

It's been since 2001 that Jeff Gordon last had a top-five finish on the road course at Watkins Glen International, but he showed during Friday's practice session that he's a threat not only to win Saturday's pole, but also Sunday's Cheez-It 355.

Gordon laid down his fast lap of 127.333 mph to top the charts on the first of his 18 laps run during the 75-minute session while in a mock-qualifying set-up. Gordon has won four times at Watkins Glen over his career, but the last one came in 2001.

It would be quite the story if Gordon were to win in what is expected to be his last race on the 11-turn 2.454-mile  road course. The win would also be his first of the season and ease his mind and status for his final Chase where there is still optimism of sending Gordon out as a champion.

The pole winner has won nine times in 32 races (34.3%) at Watkins Glen and 21 of the winners (65.6%) have started from a top-five position. Start position will be critical as always and Gordon certainly has a car that should find a great starting position during qualifying.

Kyle Larson was second fastest with a lap at 127.049 mph followed by Greg Biffle (126.987 mph), Kyle Busch (126.837) and Joey Logano (126.720). Larson finished fourth last season in his first Cup attempt at The Glen while Kyle Busch is looking to win for the third time and fifth overall this season. Busch also won the June race at Sonoma and did the road course sweep in 2008.

Rounding out the top-10 fastest drivers during the final session were Kurt Busch (126.677 mph), Martin Truex Jr. (126.650), Sam Hornish Jr. (126.644), 2006 Watkins Glen winner Kevin Harvick (126.348) and five-time winner Tony Stewart (126.263).

Qualifying is set for Saturday at 1:15 pm ET on NBCSN.

Practice 2 Results

Practice 1 Results

Jeff Gordon talks with media Friday about Watkins Glen

Four drivers listed as co-favorites for Sunday's Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma

Jeff Gordon going for his 10th road course win this week

LAS VEGAS -- It wasn't long ago that Sprint Cup road course races were dominated by a select few each and every year, but over the past 10 races at Sonoma Raceway, we have seen 10 different drivers visit victory lane. There is parity on the roads like never before, and the odds posted at the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook indicate just how close things are. Four drivers open as 6-to-1 co-favorites to win Sunday's Toyota/Save Mart 350.

With 11 races remaining until the Chase begins, several drivers on the bubble will look at Sunday's race as an opportunity to punch a ticket with a win. It's sort of a wild-card race – if a driver runs his lines perfectly throughout the 110-laps, he can make up horsepower deficits experienced at other tracks.

Let's take a look at this week's opening odds, as well as how the drivers have stacked up at Sonoma over their careers.

JEFF GORDON 6/1: He is simply the best all-time with nine road course wins, five of them at Sonoma, where he has a 7.9 average finish in 22 starts. Despite not winning there since 2006, he has maintained a 4.5 average finish in the eight starts since. In addition to hailing from nearby Vallejo and this likely being his final race on his hometown track, he's also in desperation mode with no wins on the season and is trying to get an automatic bid into the Chase with a win. With Marcos Ambrose, Robby Gordon and Juan Pablo Montoya no longer in the series and Tony Stewart not his usual self, Gordon is unquestionably 'King of the Roads' again. Back in the days when he held that crown with little resistance from the rest of field, bettors would be lucky to get 5-to-2 odds him. At 6-to-1, he's got a lot of value this week.

KEVIN HARVICK 6/1: He's got a win on the faster Watkins Glen course, but it's been a mixed bag at Sonoma's more technical course that features massive elevation changes. He's averaged a 15.9 finish in 14 starts (3 top-fives) here. Because he's on such a roll this season, anything is possible, but he's a prime bet-against candidate against several drivers at plus-money. Last season, his first with Stewart Haas Racing, he finished 20th at this race.

MARTIN TRUEX JR 6/1: He tasted the sweet Sonoma Valley victory wine in 2013, which remains his only top-five finish in nine Sonoma starts (18.7 average finish). The good news with backing Truex Jr. this week – beyond the fact he’s been fast everywhere this season – is that Kurt Busch run strong in the No. 78 with a fourth-place finish in 2013. Still, not much value at 6-to-1.

KURT BUSCH 6/1: He has the best chance to ruin Gordon's farewell homecoming and grab his third win of the season. He's had top-five finishes with four different cars at Sonoma (No. 97, No. 22, No. 51, No. 78), including a 2011 win, before finishing 12th last year in his first attempt in the SHR No. 41.

AJ ALLMENDINGER 8/1: He got his golden Chase ticket last season by winning at Watkins Glen and has great road-racing skills. But he has just a 19.3 average finish in six Sonoma starts, including two top-10 finishes.

JIMMIE JOHNSON 10/1: His hard work on the roads is a microcosm of what makes him the best overall driver in NASCAR. Like a bad free-throw shooter who works all summer to improve and has instant success the next basketball season, Johnson listened to tips from teammate Gordon and studied the top drivers’ approach in and out of each turn, and taught himself to be efficient. In his first seven starts at Sonoma, he had five finishes of 15th or worse. In his past six starts, he's averaged a 5.5 finish, including a 2010 win. Yes, there is no coincidence the guy has 74 career wins.

CARL EDWARDS 12/1: He's become one of the better road course drivers in the series and grabbed his first win last season at Sonoma. He was also third-place in two of the previous three seasons. The biggest question with Edwards this week is how he'll fare driving a Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota on the 10-turn layout for the first time. Chances are he'll be very competitive, and 12-to-1 is better than expected. He’ll be attractive at plus-money in matchup props against driver like Harvick or Allmendinger.

Read More Here....complete list of odds from Westgate

Final Michigan Practice Notes Following all Sessions: Jeff Gordon has a very strong car

Jeff Gordon had an outstanding final practice...back-to-back for No. 24?  

LAS VEGAS -- The last time the Sprint Cup series traveled through Michigan International Speedway, Jeff Gordon won for the third time of his career and first since 2001. During Saturday’s final practice session in preparation for Sunday’s Quicken Loans 400, Gordon laid down the fastest lap at 198.604 mph giving an indication that he’s a strong contender to go back-to-back.

In addition to the fast lap on the 15th of his 31 ran, he also had the second-best 10-consecutive average lap speed which shows he should be fast on the short and long runs. Over 44 starts of his marvelous career, which comes to an end following the season, he has led 1,058 laps -- the most among active drivers.

Despite the strength of Gordon’s final practice, Kevin Harvick still comes in a s the driver to beat on the basis of his body of work this season on all the big horsepower tracks and also being fastest in two of the three practices between Friday and Saturday. During Saturday’s early session that was shortened to 30-minutes because of a wet track, Harvick posted the fastest lap at 201.084 mph under cool foggy conditions. He won at Michigan and 2010 and has finished second in his past four starts there, which is in line with his 2015 trend where he’s been runner-up eight times.

Martin Truex Jr. has led the most laps in each of the past four races and finally got rewarded with a win last week at Pocono. It’s a pretty impressive sight to this single car team leading all these laps with such dominators like Harvick and Jimmie Johnson competing. He was fifth and third fastest during Saturday’s final practices, but didn’t run 10-consecutive laps. Only 11 drivers got that many laps in a row in on Saturday and Kyle Larson led the way

While you still can’t trust Larson to have a his practices translate to race day, you can’t ignore his speed on long runs. He was the only drive to run 10-consecutive in Saturday’s early session and then led the way in the 55-minute afternoon session where he also had the fourth fastest lap.

Kyle Busch came in with the second fastest lap during the final practice and should have a great day in store for him. Harvick, Truex Jr and Gordon are all going to be tough to beat, but Busch’s car just has that look of being a winner.

Read More Here......Final Driver Ratings on The Linemakers on Sporting News     

Kevin Harvick goes to Michigan as 7-to-2 favorite to win

Kevin Harvick has finished second in past four Michigan starts

LAS VEGAS -- Chevrolet has won the past two NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Michigan International Speedway, and it’s favored to win again in Sunday's Quicken Loan 400 – the top-five drivers on the oddsboard are guys with bow-ties. However, in 91 Cup races on the two-mile D-shaped track, Ford – with 34 wins – has the all-time lead among the eight manufacturers that have battled for bragging rights in the Motor City’s backyard. Chevrolet has 22 wins, and Toyota has four.

Here’s a driver-by-driver breakdown for this weekend’s race, with opening odds from the Westgate Las Vegas Super Book:

KEVIN HARVICK 7/2: All this guy does is finish first or second. In 14 races this season, he's had 10 top-two finishes (two wins), and the second-place theme has been huge for him at Michigan, as he comes in riding a four-race runner-up streak at the track – two for Richard Childress Racing and two for Stewart-Haas Racing. He won at Michigan in 2010, but probably most important for this race is what he's done on the seven horsepower tracks this season. At Fontana, Pocono and the five 1.5-mile layouts, he's been the most impressive in practice, and that’s translated to race day with six top-two finishes among those races. Michigan requires lots of horsepower, and Harvick has consistently had the most, which is why his odds are so low here. The good news for bettors looking elsewhere is he hasn't won a race since March 15 at Phoenix.

JIMMIE JOHNSON 6/1: He took the checkers in this race last year, marking his first-ever win at Michigan in 24 starts, but he'd been close several times only to have something go wrong in the late stages. In 26 starts, he has a 15.8 average finish with only five top-fives. It's one of his least successful tracks on tour, but his series-leading four wins through 14 races makes him one of the top contenders to finish just ahead of Harvick again.

KURT BUSCH 8/1: Even though history has shown that Michigan doesn’t correlate well with its near-identical sister track at Fontana, you still have to respect what Busch did at Fontana on March 22, when he led the most laps and dominated, but had the misfortune of late cautions take away his leads. He settled for a disappointing third. He's a two-time winner at Michigan, with the last victory in 2007.

MARTIN TRUEX JR 10/1: After leading the most laps in the four straight races, he finally got his due at Pocono, becoming the 10th driver to win this season. The last driver to lead the most laps in four straight races was Jeff Gordon in 2001, and he went on to win his fourth and final championship. Only Gordon and Harvick have 13 top-10 finishes in the 14 races this season, showing just how good the No. 78 single-car team from Denver has been in 2015. He's averaged only an 18th-place finish at Michigan over 18 career starts, but you can throw that all out the window because this team is dialed in more than anyone, including Harvick. If you’re thinking championship, the Westgate has him at 10-to-1 odds.

DALE EARNHARDT JR 10/1: Prior to his four wins last season, the only two wins Junior had for Hendrick Motorsports were at Michigan (2008, 2010). In 31 career starts here he's averaged a 15.6 finish and has led 354 laps. He finished fifth and seventh in the two races last season. On the seven big horsepower tracks, he's finished sixth or better six times, with his worst finish being 11th at Pocono last week.

Read More Here...complete list of odds and driver by driver breakdown

Jeff Gordon tries for record fourth Kansas win Saturday night

Jeff Gordon is 8/1 to win at Kansas Saturday night

No. 24 American Red Cross Chevrolet SS / Jeff Gordon

Driver: Jeff Gordon 

Hometown: Pittsboro, Indiana
Age: 43

Resides: Charlotte, North Carolina

Jeff Gordon on racing at Kansas
“Kansas is a great track for us, and it has been ever since it opened up. I like the transitions from the straightaways to the corners. That track just suits me as a driver. I just feel comfortable there."

THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE KANSAS: Jeff Gordon, defending race-winner and driver of the No. 24 American Red Cross Chevrolet SS, has the most victories and top-five finishes at Kansas while he is tied for most starts.

INAUGURAL WINNER: On Sept. 30, 2001, Gordon won the inaugural Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway – Gordon’s sixth win during his fourth championship season. He would make it two-for-two at Kansas when he visited Victory Lane on Sept. 29, 2002.

POLE-LESS AT KANSAS: Although Gordon ranks third all-time with 80 career pole positions, Kansas Speedway is one of two tracks where he has yet to win a pole position. Kentucky Speedway is the only other venue where Gordon has never set the fastest lap during qualifying.

KANSAS CHASSIS: Crew chief Alan Gustafson has selected Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 24-914 for Saturday night’s race. The chassis has been raced twice – once in 2015 at Atlanta and once in 2014 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Earlier this year, Gordon finished 41st at Atlanta after being involved in a lap-264 accident while running in the top 10. In the 2014 season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Gordon led 161 laps from the pole position en route to a 10th-place finish. 

RED CROSS RACING: The American Red Cross and 3M are entering the eighth year of the successful and innovative partnership, Red Cross Racing. This year, the No. 24 American Red Cross Chevy SS is a SleevesUp design to encourage fans to roll their sleeves up and make an appointment to give blood. Race fans can pledge to give on Gordon’s personal SleevesUp Campaign page.The goal is 400 donors – one for each mile of the race in Kansas.

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2015 Season 13th in standings 10 starts 0 wins 3 pole positions 1 top-five finish 6 top-10 finishes 161 laps led     Career 771 starts 92 wins 80 pole positions 321 top-five finishes 460 top-10 finishes 24,825 laps led     Kansas Career  18 starts 3 wins 0 pole positions 10 top-five finishes 12 top-10 finishes 218 laps led

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​	- Hendrick Motorsports

Updated Westgate odds to win 2015 STP 500 at Martinsville

Jimmie Johnson goes for ninth grandfather clock

STP 500
MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY
SUNDAY, MARCH 29, 2015

KEVIN HARVICK 6
JIMMIE JOHNSON 7-2
JEFF GORDON 7-2
DALE EARNHARDT JR 10
BRAD KESELOWSKI 12
JOEY LOGANO 8
MATT KENSETH 25
CARL EDWARDS 25
KASEY KAHNE 20
DENNY HAMLIN 7
KYLE LARSON 40
MARTIN TRUEX JR 25
KURT BUSCH 15
RYAN NEWMAN 25
JAMIE McMURRAY 40
TONY STEWART 40
CLINT BOWYER 100
DAVID RAGAN 100
CHASE ELLIOTT 100
PAUL MENARD 100
AUSTIN DILLON 200
GREG BIFFLE 200
AJ ALLMENDINGER 100
ARIC ALMIROLA 200
DANICA PATRICK 300
TREVOR BAYNE 500
RICKY STENHOUSE JR 500
SAM HORNISH JR 500
CASEY MEARS 500
FIELD 500

Jeff Gordon looking for fourth and final win at Auto Club Speedway

Jeff Gordon is 8/1 this week at Fontana

Driver Jeff Gordon
Hometown Pittsboro, Indiana
Age 43
Resides Charlotte, North Carolina

Jeff Gordon, driver of the No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet SS, is scheduled to visit the Auto Club Speedway media center at 3 p.m. local time Friday.

ONLY GORDON: The driver of the No. 24 Axalta Chevrolet SS is the only individual to start all 25 Sprint Cup events at the two-mile California oval.

GORDON ON AMERICAN IDOL: On Thursday, Gordon is scheduled to make a guest appearance on American Idol XIV. The show is scheduled to air live from 8 to 10 p.m. ET.

ANOTHER TITLE FOR GORDON: Axalta Coating Systems (NYSE: AXTA), a leading global manufacturer of liquid and powder coatings, and Gordon announced a new multi-year partnership in February. Gordon was named Axalta’s Global Business Advisor and will serve as special advisor to Charlie Shaver, Axalta Chairman and CEO, bringing his winning skills and innovative thinking to Axalta, its leadership team and its customers worldwide.

CALIFORNIA CHASSIS: Crew chief Alan Gustafson has selected Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 24-921 for Sunday's race, scheduled for 200 laps. The chassis is brand new and has never been raced.

2015 Season 25th in standings 4 starts 0 wins 2 pole positions 0 top-five finishes 1 top-10 finish 87 laps led

Career 765 starts 92 wins 79 pole positions 320 top-five finishes 455 top-10 finishes 24,751 laps led

Fontana Career  25 starts 3 wins 2 pole positions 10 top-five finishes 11 top-10 finishes 645 laps led

Jeff Gordon using winning 2014 Brickyard and Michigan chassis at Las Vegas

Jeff Gordon is 7/1 to win Kobalt 400 at Las Vegas Sunday

Driver: Jeff Gordon 

Hometown: Pittsboro, Indiana
Age: 43 

Resides: Charlotte, North Carolina

Jeff Gordon is scheduled to visit the Las Vegas Motor Speedway media center at 2:30 p.m. local time on Friday, March 6.

VICTORIOUS AT VEGAS: Jeff Gordon's lone win at Las Vegas occurred in 2001 when he led the final 20 laps en route to Victory Lane. It was the first of six victories during a season in which he won his fourth NASCAR Cup Series championship.

ONLY GORDON: The 43-year-old driver of the No. 24 3M Chevrolet SS is the only competitor to participate in all 17 Sprint Cup events at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

MISSING IN LAS VEGAS: Although Gordon ranks third all-time with 78 career pole positions, Las Vegas Motor Speedway is one of three tracks where he has yet to win one. Kansas Speedway and Kentucky Speedway are the other venues where Gordon never has set the fastest time on qualifying day.

NOT WORST START TO SEASON: Gordon has been involved in two accidents in two races with finishes of 33rd and 41st to begin the 2015 campaign. In 1996, Gordon started the season with finishes of 42nd and 40th before rallying to earn 10 wins and finish second to Hendrick Motorsports teammate Terry Labonte in the season-long points championship.

LAS VEGAS CHASSIS: Crew chief Alan Gustafson has selected Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 24-895 for this Sunday's Kobalt 400. Gordon raced the chassis to a record-breaking fifth Brickyard 400 victory in July, a win at Michigan International Speedway in August and a 14th-place finish at Kansas Speedway in October in 2014.

2015 Season 36th in standings 2 starts 0 wins 1 pole position 0 top-five finishes 0 top-10 finishes 87 laps led

Career 763 starts 92 wins 78 pole positions 320 top-five finishes 454 top-10 finishes 24,751 laps led

Las Vegas Career  17 starts 1 win 0 pole positions 6 top-five finishes 8 top-10 finishes 457 laps led