Gordon likes teammate’s chances for Nextel Cup title

Thursday, Nov. 10, 2005 | 11 a.m.

Jeff Gordon said he thinks Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson is in the perfect position heading into the final two races of the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season.

Johnson, who is in second place in the standings and trails Tony Stewart by 38 points going into Sunday's race at Phoenix International Raceway, respectfully disagrees.

"I would take the (points lead) to be honest with you," Johnson said. "To be in control isn't a bad thing, especially with a few races left."

Gordon, who has won four Cup championships, and Johnson, who has finished second in points each of the past two seasons, agree on one thing: Johnson is more than capable of winning the title in the final two races.

"Oh, definitely," Johnson said. "The nice thing is that it's still in our control. We can win the championship on racing and not have to count on bad luck on anybody's behalf.

"It looks like we've also stretched out a little cushion over a couple of guys and don't have to worry about losing anything there. Tony is going to run strong and it's going to (come down to) five points here or there."

Last season Johnson finished eight points behind champion Kurt Busch in the closest championship finish in Cup history.

BAD MOVE?

With two races remaining in the 2005 NASCAR Nextel Cup season, Penske/Jasper Racing's decision to replace Brendan Gaughan with Travis Kvapil this year in the No. 77 Dodge has proven to be a bad one.

In 2004 Gaughan piloted the No. 77 to a 28th-place finish in points with four top-10 and 11 top-20 finishes. His best finish was a fourth place in October at Talladega Superspeedway.

Through 34 races this season, Kvapil is 33rd in points with one top-10 and nine top-20 finishes. His best finish is seventh in April at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Gaughan, a Las Vegas native, is driving this season in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for his family's Orleans Racing team.

ALSO NOTED:

* Las Vegas native Kurt Busch has four consecutive top-10 finishes at Phoenix International Raceway, including a victory in the spring race there in April.

* Robert Hight, 36, won the NHRA's "Road to the Future" award as the circuit's top rookie. Of the four first-year drivers nominated, only one (Erica Enders, 21) was under 35 years of age.

* Monday will mark the 60th anniversary of Tony Hulman's purchase of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway from World War I flying ace Eddie Rickenbacker (for $750,000). The Hulman-George family has controlled the speedway ever since.

* NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series owner/driver Bobby Hamilton will make NASCAR history Friday when he becomes the first owner to field entries driven by two female drivers in the same race. Hamilton will field entries for Deborah Renshaw and Erin Crocker in Friday's truck race.

BY THE NUMBERS:

2 -- The number of drivers who have won NHRA world championships in both Top Fuel and Funny Car (Kenny Bernstein and Gary Scelzi)

0 -- The number of NASCAR Nextel Cup Series victories Jeff Gordon has in 13 career starts at Phoenix International Raceway

786 -- The number of consecutive starts made by NASCAR Nextel Cup star Ricky Rudd, who this week announced he would be "taking a break" from the sport at the end of this season

Brian Hilderbrand can be reached at 259-4089 or at bh@lasvegassun.com.