Gordon leads way in NASCAR’s final practice at Homestead

Now Jeff Gordon has a chance to write the ultimate Hollywood ending to an illustrious career. They just pull out greatness like a hole card.

Nobody was happier than Gordon, who overcame a disappointing first run to qualify fifth for the final race of his 23-year career.

Arguably the outsider of the four remaining title contenders is Furniture Row Racing’s Martin Truex Jr., who qualified in 11th place for the grand finale.

Kevin Harvick: Came to Homestead in 2014 and won the race and the championship.

Harvick proved his first-season success at Stewart-Haas Racing was no fluke, following up with three victories and a whopping 12 runner-up finishes this year.

Among the contenders, Gordon posted the fastest lap in the final practice Saturday at 173.321 miles per hour. “I’m sure it’s been done in a few sport, but I don’t think it’s ever been done in this sport”. About what he’s been through; his girlfriend, Sherry Pollex, was diagnosed a year ago with pancreatic cancer.

Kyle Busch never let doubt creep in, even with a mangled leg. Someone else with a double compound fracture in his right leg and a fracture of his left foot may have caved in emotionally. “We may have been the last guy moving on each time, but it doesn’t matter if you’re first or last”.

He joins Jeff Gordon, Martin Truex Jr. and defending champion Kevin Harvick as drivers who will make a run at the title. After being introduced at the podium, Hamlin added, “Also known as Mr. Irrelevant”.

NASCAR’s oldest team, begun in 1950 by Hall of Famer Glen Wood, has raced full-time since 2008, though it claimed a major win at the 2011 Daytona 500 with Trevor Bayne.

“Nothing to hang our heads about right now”. Qualifying hasn’t been our strong suit on these type of tracks. I think he was ready. This year’s battle between the top four is more equal that it would appear based on the speed chart.

Far from the NASCAR hotbed of Charlotte, North Carolina, sits a nondescript auto shop with no sign out front, smack in the middle of the Colorado Rockies.

Hamlin just beat Penske’s Joey Logano for the top spot by 0.068s. “I just didn’t push the auto hard enough, didn’t realize how much more grip was going to be out there compared to practice, and I just wasn’t aggressive enough”. The vehicle was fine. “I think qualifying here is important”. The wreck knocked Logano out of the race and led to Jeff Gordon’s first win of the season.

“For us to get an extension on our contract with (Mars) and then to get Kyle wrapped up in that, it’s a huge deal for us”, Gibbs said. That’s why I, and many others who previously could not stand that screaming bright evil Monte Carlo, will be sad when it happens, and why we’re also kind of, almost, sort of pulling for him to get that 5th Cup. The vehicle went across the grass and crashed head-on into an unprotected interior wall without a SAFER barrier. 002 of a second (30.779, 175.444). For us, it’s more about personal goals and wanting to prove people wrong and just go out there and really just do a great job…. You know, we just never really recovered from what we did in the first round to make it repeat. I think we have respect for each other’s stories, how we got here, what we have on the line, and for the most part on the racetrack we all respect each other as well. Harvick said he did what he had to do, and NASCAR found no proof that he deliberately caused the crash to protect his position.

“Everything is good to go”, he said.

We remember that brash 20-year-old kid with a bad mustache who burst onto the circuit full of confidence and with the driving skills to back it up.