From the October, 2006 issue of Stock Car Insider
Jeff Gordon's Championship Hopes Dashed
If you missed the first 137 laps of yesterday's UAW-Ford 500, don't worry. The action didn't heat up until lap 137 when an 11 car melee took out Chase for the Championship driver Jeff Gordon. Gordon's car took the brunt of the collision and was rendered in-operable for the balance of the race. As a result, Gordon finished 36; his second consecutive 30+ finish in the Chase for the Championship.Just a few races ago, it looked as if Gordon was back into his championship form and ready to win his record 5th title. However, fuel pump issues last week at Kansas and a bad case of the restrictor plate blues yesterday have left Gordon in 7th place in the standings and 147 points out of first. His hopes of winning the 2006 title are about as good as Tony Stewart's or anyone else who failed to qualify for the Chase.
Do not, however, count Gordon out. While it's highly improbably that he could win the Chase, there is a good chance you will see his face in victory lane in the upcoming races. The remaining tracks on the schedule have been some of Gordon's favorites. And no matter what you've heard in the past several years, Gordon has not lost his competitive edge!
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