Time Running Out for a Gordon Win

Prior to Saturday night's race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, it appeared that Jeff Gordon was going to be the chaser to beat.

He was on the pole.  He was confident.  He was hungry.

And then all hell broke loose and he ended the race in twenty-third place.

Not quite the night he was hoping for.  Not quite the finish to contend for a championship.

But as time quickly runs out on the No. 24 team like so much sand through the hourglass, there is a bright spot on the nearby horizon:

Martinsville.

Gordon will enter the paper clip as the top-rated driver at the track.  He boasts seven wins, seven poles and leads all active drivers with the most top five and top 10 finishes.

Plus in March, he left Martinsville with a respectable third-place result.

If his pit crew hits their marks and Gordon can keep from speeding on pit road, the No. 24 team could well notch their first win of the season - and perhaps make up some ground on that other "four-timer".

And if it all falls apart?

Well, there's always next year ...