NASCAR – Gordon joins Chase qualifiers

Jeff Gordon had a double blow Sunday night. Not content with winning a fifth success at the Brickyard in Indianapolis, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the first arrival of the NASCAR on the famous oval (Gordon had also won the first edition, Editor's note), the driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet SS of Team Hendrick Motorsports took the opportunity to secure a place in the 2014 Chase. The second victory of the season for the Rainbow Warrior (after Kansas) allows him to join the official list of qualifiers for the play-offs which will begin on September 14 at the GEICO 400 which will be run on the Chicagoland oval in Illinois .

Si Brad Keselowski (Team Penske – Ford) et Dale Earnhardt Jr (Hendrick – Chevrolet) avaient déjà validé leurs tickets pour le Chase lors de la manche du New Hampshire, ils ont été rejoints par Jeff Gordon donc, mais aussi par le champion en titre Jimmie Johnson (Hendrick – Chevrolet), Carl Edwards (Roush – Ford), qui a par ailleurs annoncé son départ de l’équipe de Jack Roush, et Joey Logano (Penske – Ford). On constate qu’aucun pilote Toyota, et notamment de la Joe Gibbs Racing, n’est encore qualifié puisque ni Kyle Busch, ni Denny Hamlin, pourtant lauréats d’une manche,n’ont encore assuré définitivement leur place.

The drivers of the Stewart-Haas Racing are only represented in the clan of winners in 2014 by Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch. Tony Stewart is currently out of the top 16, which could allow him to reach the final part of the championship if, by chance, Smoke fails to win in the last six races of the regular season.

Find the report on the round of the Brickyard 400 in Indianapolis, in the 1971 issue of AUTOhebdo, already available in digital version, and on newsstands tomorrow.