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Gordon Moves Closer to Chase with Pocono Win
Written by Andrew McClellan   
Sunday, 12 June 2011 21:16

jeff-gordon-pocono-burnout

Jeff Gordon scored his 84th career Sprint Cup Series victory in Sunday's 5-Hour Energy 500 at Pocono Raceway, tying him with Bobby Allison and Darrell Waltrip for third on NASCAR's all-time winners list. Sunday's win is Gordon's second of the 2011 season and his fifth at Pocono.

 

With a pair of wins Gordon is almost assured of a spot in the Chase for the Sprint Cup but the four-time champion is cautiously optimistic.

 

"There is too much racing left to go,” Gordon said of the remaining 12 races before the Chase cutoff. "I feel a lot better about it though, that is for darn sure.”

 

Gordon, who led on three occasions for 39 laps, took the lead from Juan Pablo Montoya on a lap 160 restart and carried a one-second advantage by lap 166. Gordon and polesitter Kurt Busch were running one-two when they made their final scheduled pit stops on lap 177 of the 200-lap race. Gordon beat Busch off pit road and pulled away to a 2.965 second lead at the finish line.

 

“I think we can do more of that," said Gordon.

 

Kyle Busch finished third with Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick completing the top-five.

 

Denny Hamlin led a race-high 76 laps before a left rear tire went down relegating him to a 19th place finish.

Point leader Carl Edwards lost an engine 59 laps in and finished 37th.

 

“One of the valves got in an argument with something in the engine and lost,” Edwards offered.

 

Edwards now leads Johnson by six points in the 2011 Sprint Cup standings as the series heads to Michigan next weekend.

 

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