Jeff Gordon 2010 Preview, Predictions & Odds

With the NASCAR season underway, we are providing season previews for the top 30 drivers to give you the betting edge. Follow the best NASCAR Handicappers as they analyze their drivers in this 2010 season preview. Use our comprehensive and insider info to bet successfully on NASCAR in our recommend sportsbooks. View the rest of our 2010 NASCAR Season Previews here.

Jeff Gordon 2009 Stats

Jeff Gordon 2009 Recap & Review

Most Sprint Cup drivers would be happy to come away from a season with 16 top 5-finishes, 25 top l0s and a win. But most drivers aren’t four-time series champions, and most drivers haven’t had three seasons in their careers with double-digit win totals. In short, most drivers aren’t Jeff Gordon, and he isn’t about to be satisfied with a year in which he finished third in points.

It was a tough pill to swallow after a hot start to 2009. Finishing 13th in Daytona after the rains came at the wrong time, Gordon promptly fired off a string of six top-6 finishes. That streak peaked with a Texas win in April, ending both a 47-race victory drought and a career 0-fer at a track that had long been his nemesis. A couple of hiccups at Phoenix and Talladega and a harrowing crash at Watkins Glen hinted that the Drive for Five wouldn’t be a cakewalk. But with 13 top-IS runs in the last 17 races, Gordon finished runner-up in the regular-season standings to Tony Stewart and entered the Chase as a title favorite.

However, in hindsight, the man’s championship bid was over before it even began. Finishing 15th at Loudon and sixth at Dover, he was 122 points out of the lead two races in, proving too much of a deficit to overcome. Second-place runs at Kansas and Fontana kept him hanging around, and in the last six races Gordon would log four more top-10 finishes. But a 20th at Talladega and 13th at Texas meant virtual elimination. He finished 179 points behind Johnson in third capping off the first 1-2-3 points sweep by a team (Hendrick Motorsports) in NASCAR history.

Jeff Gordon 2010 Preview & Prediction

Many drivers would kill to finish third in points. But for Jeff Gordon, a spot on the podium also came with a sobering reality check: Hendrick Motorsports’ former No. 1 driver slipped to third-best in his own organization behind Jimmie Johnson and Mark Martin. Despite leading the series in both average finish (10.2) and consistency (25 top 10s), Gordon watched helplessly — again — as the team he co-owns extended his own championship drought to eight seasons.

Crew chief Steve Letarte and Gordon share the same shop and work with the same resources. But come crunch time in the Chase, it’s always Johnson and Chad Knaus who make the right adjustments on their crucial final stop, while Letarte and Gordon frequently hit the wrong note. The last 10 weeks of 2009 were filled with races that took desperate pit strategy for Gordon to even stay within striking distance of the No. 48.

But falling short of a title hasn’t dented Gordon’s confidence as he prepares for his fifth full year with Letarte. Understanding they’d have not one but two more championships under the old format, he claims the biggest hurdle left to overcome is adjusting to the Chase format itself.

Since those tracks remain the same for 2010, this team has no choice but to dig deeper and try its best to figure things out. All the tools are there to learn, as Hendrick Motorsports’ open-book policy means Gordon has access to every piece of information any of his teammates gather. His driving style is different from Johnson’s, but they have found success with information sharing. And with Martin’s team being strong as well, there is a plethora of information to be had, along with outstanding chassis and ultra-durable engines.

For the first time in several years, Gordon faces few, if any, distractions. Longtime sponsor DuPont, National Guard and Pepsi will all be back. Gordon has a lifetime contract with Hendrick, and he recently confirmed he’d be driving through at least 2013, putting any retirement rumors to rest. Also, his back, a nagging problem, appears to be close to 100 percent.

It’ll take only three victories for Gordon, the winningest active driver on the circuit, to move to third on the all-time list. But what he really wants is that fifth championship. There’s nothing to suggest he won’t be in position to contend once again, but if he is, chances are his teammate on the other side of the shop will be as well.

And until he beats Johnson head-to-head, a different driver may complete the Drive for Five instead.

Jeff Gordon 2010 Predictions

We predict that Jeff Gordon will finish 5th in the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

Jeff Gordon Betting & Odds

Jeff Gordon NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship Odds: +600

Jeff Gordon Betting Trends & Situations

• after finishing worse than 15th, average finish is 10.6
• when racing in February, average finish is 15.4

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