Gordon and Crew Gaining Confidence Approaching Daytona

Following a surprise second place finish at Infineon, Jeff Gordon will hit a couple of wild card races in Daytona and Kentucky (inaugural event) before hitting some of the four-time champion's better tracks in New Hampshire, Indianapolis and Pocono, the latter of which was Gordon's last win in June's 5-Hour Energy 500.

Gordon led 13 laps and finished third in last year's Coca Zero 400 and might be a sleeper pick for the 2011 event.

Gordon hasn't won a points paying race at Daytona since 2005 but is coming off a strong Talladega race that saw him lose out to Jimmie Johnson on the final lap. The Vallejo, Calif. native qualified that race on pole and is just starting to come around to the new love-bug style of plate racing.

"You really have to find somebody to work with," Gordon said. "And you have to compromise because...you may be getting pushed [and you may be pushing]. When it comes down to the final laps of the race, which position you want to be in, it's critical."

Gordon worked with garage mate Mark Martin at Talladega and originally tried to pushing the no. 5 to mixed results. It wasn't until they switched places that the duo started marching towards the front.

"The two guys have to work very well together," Gordon added. I'm really excited about working with Mark [again this weekend].  We worked really well together and had a shot at winning the race there late, and I think we are going to be able to evolve with that and make it even better for Daytona this weekend.

Racing at Daytona has changed since Gordon made his debut in 1993 by winning his first Gatorade Duel. Plate racing has deviated from huge multi-car packs to two-by-two bump drafting. According to Gordon, changes to the car and track surfaces have updated the formula even more.

"You know, there used to be a lot more strategy and planning that went into every pass. If you were able to get the lead, you controlled things a little bit more; you weren't a sitting duck, and that's has definitely changed.

"We [saw] 25, 30 years ago, where being up front, the guys could get that slingshot move on you, and now that's closer to what it's like, but in big packs. And now, also, you throw in the two-car draft, and that changed it up even more."

And with a new car in development for 2013, even more changes could be on the horizon. The current machine, dubbed the car of tomorrow, debuted in 2007, and one of its top innovations was the front and rear bumpers matching up perfectly. Any more than two cars in a draft now hinders progress.

The end result at Daytona and Talladega has been drivers pushing one another (or bump drafting) all the way around both 2.5-mile tracks.

But unlike plate races in February and April, the Coke Zero 400 will provide something new - summer heat.

"When the repave came at Daytona, a lot of us didn't think there would be enough grip to do the two-car draft," Gordon said. "Now the other factor coming into the July race is the heat.

"Is it going to take dirt away from the racetrack to where it's going to be a lot harder to do the two-car draft? There are still some unknowns, and it's going to be very interesting on Friday when we get on the track."

Put best, Daytona has new rules but the same unpredictable expectations.

Summer Could Provide Gordon Ammo for Championship Run

Beyond Daytona are some of Gordon's better tracks in New Hampshire, Indy and Pocono. Gordon won the inaugural Brickyard 400 and has four total wins at the 2.5-mile flat oval. His victories at his adopted home track are some of his most cherished.

"It ranks up there, possibly No. 1," Gordon admitted. "It's an incredible victory...and something I'll never forget. And any time I'm ever asked about either my favorite win or my biggest win of my career, that one always rises to the top."

Between New Hampshire, Indy and Pocono, Gordon has 12 wins and 56 Top 10s. Why have these tracks suited him so well?

"You know, it's hard to really pinpoint why any track you favor, or it favors you. Some of it's driving style. Most of it is the car setup and the team," Gordon said. "New Hampshire is just one of those tracks that I had a chance to run in the Nationwide Series before the Cup Series was even racing there, had some good success and transitioned that into the Cup Series.

"It's just one of those tracks where it's a very flat, narrow-groove, tight-corner racetrack, but it's one that seems to suit my style and it seems like as a team, we can communicate well to get what we need out of the car to go fast there."

Jeff Gordon was the subject of NASCAR's weekly CAM Media Interview. You can read the complete transcript of his Q&A here.