Jeff Gordon 2013 Fantasy NASCAR Preview

2012 Stats: Points Finish 10th, 2 Wins, 11 Top Fives, 18 Top Tens, Average Running Position 11.4, Average Finish 14.1, Laps Led 568, Driver Rating 98.0

Strengths- Jeff Gordon is a versatile driver who’s backed by the best organization in NASCAR. What’s not to like?

Weaknesses- Jeff Gordon is a pretty unlucky guy. He seems to have this problem year after year.

Intermediate Track Grade- A, If Jeff Gordon didn’t have bad luck at intermediate tracks last season he would’ve ranked as one of the best in the series. He scored the 13th most points but bad luck cost him an estimated 75 points. If he had those points back he would’ve ranked around 4th. Jeff Gordon isn’t a bad option at any intermediate track. Last year he won the season finale at Homestead and now Kentucky remains the only intermediate track he hasn’t won on. I don’t see the Gen 6 car throwing him for a loop on this track type. Hendrick Motorsports will be ready for the transition and he’s a quick learner.

Flat Track Grade- A, Jeff Gordon is a flat track ace. I like him at all of the flat tracks. That versatility has earned him an A. Last season in the seven flat track races he had one win and five top tens. If it wasn’t for the Clint Bowyer incident at Phoenix and speeding penalty at Pocono he likely would’ve been 7 for 7 in terms of getting top tens. His highlight of the season on flat tracks was his win in the rain shortened Pocono race. Without that win he would’ve missed the Chase. Last season on these tracks he had the 3rd best average running position (8.6) and the third best driver rating (105.3).

Short Track Grade- A-, Jeff Gordon had more than his share of problems on this track type last season. At each track he had a top seven finish but in the other race at the venue he had problems. Jeff Gordon was once the king of Martinsville but his era of dominance has passed. He nearly won the spring race but Clint Bowyer dive bombed the corner during a restart and took him out. That lead to a 14th place finish. In the fall he finished 7th. Between the two races last season he led 420 laps (most series). In forty races at Martinsville Gordon has 7 wins and 32 top tens. Track history at Bristol no longer matters with the exception of the race last August. On the newly grinded surface he finished 3rd.  Richmond has been a pretty good track for Gordon. Since 2007 he has nine top tens (tied for the most) and the third best driver rating (106.8).

Restrictor Plate Track Grade- B, Jeff Gordon had a lot of bad luck at plate tracks last season. It was so bad that in the summer Daytona race he was wrecked while coming down pit road. In the season opening Daytona 500 he cooked his engine and didn’t even see it coming. Reportedly he had a gauge malfunction. In the first race at Talladega he wrecked. At the end of the season his fortunes finally turned. In the Talladega Chase race he survived the carnage at the end and finished 2nd. At plate tracks Jeff Gordon is either a “feast or famine” driver. His good finishes will really help you out but his bad finishes will doom you. Since 2006 at Dega Gordon has five top tens but eight finishes of 19th or worse. His success at Daytona has also been sporadic recently. Hopefully Dale Earnhardt Jr. will help him out at these track.

Road Course Track Grade- A-, Jeff Gordon has nine wins at road courses. At Infineon he’s been money in the bank. Five of his wins have come there but his last was in 2006. Currently at that west coast venue he has seven straight top tens. Last season he started in 2nd and finished 6th. As long as Jeff Gordon doesn’t have problems there he’s a lock for a top ten. His results at Watkins Glen haven’t been nearly as good. His last win there was in 2001 and in the eleven races since his best finish is 9th. Gordon’s average finish in this time span is 20.2. Last season he was running around 10th but he wrecked on the last turn of the final lap.

How to use Jeff Gordon from a Fantasy NASCAR Perspective in 2013? Jeff Gordon can be used almost anywhere. His very best tracks are Infineon, Martinsville, Darlington, Indy, Atlanta, Homestead and Pocono.

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