Jeff Gordon's miserable season took a positive turn Friday when NASCAR's king of the road won the pole with a record-shattering run at Watkins Glen International.
The four-time Winston Cup champion -- with a record seven victories on road courses -- sped around the 3.9km serpentine track at 200.449kph. It was the second pole this season for Gordon, a distant third in the points standings with only one victory.
Gordon said the combination of a fast racing surface and a testing session last month helped him immensely.
"We were really fast all day," he said, alluding to being second-quickest in practice. "The conditions couldn't be any more perfect for qualifying."
He was among those who weren't a bit surprised that Dale Jarrett's 2-year-old record of 197.421kph was broken by 18 of 47 cars. He said the teams have put a greater emphasis on road-course programs in the last few seasons. Gordon also said he has rededicated himself to being a constant threat on the road courses.
"After the last race here we knew he had to come back and test," he said. "We had a plan that paid off for us. The last couple of years we weren't good enough to win a pole."
That bothered Gordon, who said he was further inspired to go faster after watching Greg Biffle and Dale Earnhardt Jr. post very quick laps before his run. He decided he would not even think about a conservative lap.
Passion and the dedication of his crew also played a part, Gordon explained.
"I love the road courses, and these guys supply me with such great equipment that it makes it easy," he said. "I was a second faster in practice than in testing, and things are really going well."
It was his second pole on the 11-turn layout, one of only two road courses on the circuit, and the 44th of his career.
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