Jeff Gordon was having a lot of fun Saturday, joshing and jostling with Dale Earnhardt, trading insults with his crew and generally enjoying a rainy day at the race track.
Why not? The 24-year-old Gordon is on top of the racing world, as well as on top of the grid for today's Goody's 500 NASCAR Winston Cup race.When rain washed out qualifying for the second straight day, Gordon was awarded the top qualifying spot based on season points, which he leads by 309 over seven-time series champion Earnhardt.
It will be the ninth time this season Gordon has started from the front, although this one does not count as a pole victory.
Earnhardt, who did some playful wrestling with Gordon during a TV interview Saturday, will start alongside him, while Sterling Marlin, the only other driver with a chance to catch Gordon in the standings, will start third.
"No matter what happens, just being in contention for the championship is a lot of fun," Gordon said.
"If we can keep it up for the last six races, it'll be the experience of a lifetime. We've got a great opportunity ... We just hope the luck keeps going our way."
Luck hasn't played much of a role in Gordon's emergence this season.
Consistency has been the key word and his Hendrick Motorsports team, which has led 24 of the 25 events, won six races and finished in the top five 15 times and in the top 10 20 times.
Going into Sunday's 500-lap race at the .526-mile Martinsville Speedway oval, Gordon is riding a string of 12 consecutive top-10 finishes and is coming off an overpowering win last Sunday at Dover, Del., where he led 400 of 500 laps.
"We've got a new car for this race and I think we'll be in good shape," said Gordon, who finished third here in April. "I learned a lot about getting around this track in the last race.
"I think the biggest thing is going to have the car real adjustable. There's not going to be much rubber on the track because of all the rain, so the track will change a lot during the day and we've got to be prepared to change with it.
"Martinsville is a tight track and anything can happen. It's tough on equipment, too. I think this is a crucial weekend to get through."
Marlin, who is third in the standings, trailing Gordon by 343 points, said, "If Gordon keeps running like he's running, it's going to be hard to catch him. If he has two bad races, we're right back there in it."