KIDWCKED
07-27-2010, 10:35 PM
c/p from nascar,com by Raygan Swan.
INDIANAPOLIS -- At the Brickyard 400, a good car will get you a decent finish. But it takes a great car to win.
That is the best way to characterize Jeff Gordon's outing this weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where his team finished a disappointing 23rd Sunday. The No. 24 crew battled an ill-handling race car early in the race before ultimately hitting an unknown piece of debris on the track that broke the front splitter and caused major damage to the car.
"It broke the splitter brace and then cut both right side tires and since this place is so fast and you're so low to the ground anyway we just drug the rest of the splitter off," said Steve Letarte, Gordon's crew chief. "But we did good. Jeff stayed calm; we got the wave around and stayed on the lead lap, replaced the splitter and got the best finish we could."
Still, the performance was questionable early in the race. Gordon complained the car was pushing and hard to drive in the corners.
"We struggled all weekend," Letarte said. "We were a good car, just never great, and here a good car with track position you might have a chance. Just a good car will get you about 10th and that's what we were. We couldn't make our own destiny, we weren't good enough to pass and that's what you need to be."
In preparation for the Brickyard, four practice sessions were held. Gordon was never faster than 25th on the speed chart.
INDIANAPOLIS -- At the Brickyard 400, a good car will get you a decent finish. But it takes a great car to win.
That is the best way to characterize Jeff Gordon's outing this weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where his team finished a disappointing 23rd Sunday. The No. 24 crew battled an ill-handling race car early in the race before ultimately hitting an unknown piece of debris on the track that broke the front splitter and caused major damage to the car.
"It broke the splitter brace and then cut both right side tires and since this place is so fast and you're so low to the ground anyway we just drug the rest of the splitter off," said Steve Letarte, Gordon's crew chief. "But we did good. Jeff stayed calm; we got the wave around and stayed on the lead lap, replaced the splitter and got the best finish we could."
Still, the performance was questionable early in the race. Gordon complained the car was pushing and hard to drive in the corners.
"We struggled all weekend," Letarte said. "We were a good car, just never great, and here a good car with track position you might have a chance. Just a good car will get you about 10th and that's what we were. We couldn't make our own destiny, we weren't good enough to pass and that's what you need to be."
In preparation for the Brickyard, four practice sessions were held. Gordon was never faster than 25th on the speed chart.