Gordon’s strategy pays off in sixth victory of the year

The veteran driver only led for one lap of the race, but it was the last one.

TALLADEGA, Ala. (AP) — It’s not in Jeff Gordon’s nature to go slow, and asking the four-time series champion to ride aimlessly around in the back of the pack is unheard of.

But with all the unknowns surrounding Sunday’s race at Talladega Superspeedway, it seemed to be the safest strategy. Still, he resisted, and even told car owner Rick Hendrick he wouldn’t do it.

He apparently had a change of heart, agreeing to turn parade laps for much of the race before surging past Jimmie Johnson on the final lap and holding off his teammate to become the career victory leader at restrictor-plate tracks.

Hartford native Dave Blaney finished third, the highest this season for Toyota.

“It was the hardest race I’ve ever had to be in. I’ve never had that type of mind-set before,” Gordon said. “I’ve never done that before. I even told Rick Hendrick earlier in the week that some guys were talking about that strategy, and I can’t do it — I think we’ve got to get out there and race and let the chips fall where they may.

“I changed that ... and it was tough because I don’t like just going out there and riding in the back. I want to be out there battling for the lead and leading laps.”

He parlayed his decision into his 12th career plate win and sixth victory this season, and moved back on top of the points standings. He leads Johnson by nine points with six races remaining in the Chase for the championship.

But it was bizarre way to do it by Gordon’s standards.

Fears over the Car of Tomorrow’s plate debut and former Formula One champion Jacques Villeneuve’s first Nextel Cup event had the entire field concerned the race would be one big demolition derby.

So Gordon decided he’d avoid the mess by staying in the back, and found himself yawning in his race car for the first time in his career.

Gordon had a horrible qualifying effort — he started 34th — and it put him at the back, where he never tried to move from. He then suffered a late-race setback when he pulled out of his pit with a hose hanging from his car, earning a pass-through penalty that seemed to take him out of contention.

A master at working the draft, Gordon eventually marched toward the front and had moved into the top 15 as the race neared its completion. With six laps to go, he was in the middle of a Hendrick Motorsports charge that saw Johnson, Gordon and Casey Mears surge to the front of the pack.

Gordon was stuck behind Johnson, though, and waited until the last lap to make a move toward the front. He finally jumped up high, squeezing in between Johnson and the Penske cars of Ryan Newman and Kurt Busch.

Just as Johnson tried to block him, two-time series champion Tony Stewart slid onto Gordon’s bumper and gave him a huge push into the lead. Gordon led just one lap — the last one — to complete a season sweep at Talladega.

Denny Hamlin was fourth and was followed by Ryan Newman, who was leading late in his Dodge, and Mears. Kurt Busch was seventh and Stewart, who was in position to win this race very late, had two strategic moves backfire and was shuffled back to eighth.

This race blew open the Chase for the championship standings, as Gordon and Johnson positioned themselves for a Hendrick battle toward the title. Third-place driver Clint Bowyer finished 11th, but fell 63 points behind the leader.

Stewart dropped 154 points out and everyone else is more than 200 points behind.