Jeff Gordon won for the fifth time at Pocono Raceway on Sunday in the 5-Hour Energy 500. It was the 84th win overall in his career and moved him into a tie with Bobby Allison and Darrell Waltrip for third in Cup history.
However, the fact that it was his second win this season was more important than any other number for Gordon.
After being written off as a championship contender, Sunday's win put Gordon right back in contention. After a 66-race winless streak entering 2011, Gordon won for the second time in just 11 races. He won in Phoenix earlier this season.
"I want to be a threat for the championship," Gordon said to Yahoo! Sports' Jay Hart. "I’m not saying we’re there. But today is definitely a big step in getting us there."
Gordon, who will be 40 in August, has four titles under his belt already. "Four-time," as he is known in the racing world, would like to make it five.
The driver of the No. 24 car switched crew chiefs this year when owner Rick Hendricks of Hendrick Motor Sports wanted to spark his team. Since joining with Alan Gustafson, Gordon has seen improvement, as evidenced by two wins already in 2011.
Gordon now sits in 11th place in the standings and should have enough to get into the Chase for the Cup via the wild card, according to Yahoo! Sports.
Gordon and the rest of the field get back to racing next weekend at Michigan Motor Speedway.
