sportsjabber.net

Just one race after Bobby Labonte made his 600th career Sprint Cup Series start, Jeff Gordon will make his at Chicagoland Saturday night. In the previous 599 starts, Gordon has racked up 272 top 5s, which means that he’s finished in the top 5 in more than 45 percent of the races he’s run.

By comparison, Jimmie Johnson has made 302 career Cup Series starts and has top 5s in 125 of them, a rate of just over 41 percent. However, Johnson has 52 wins, while Gordon has 82.

Kyle Busch has finished in the top 5 61 times in 204 starts, and in the top 10 91 times, while Tony Stewart has 148 top 5s and 238 top 10s in 410 career Sprint Cup Series starts. Matt Kenseth has made 382 starts and has 99 top 5s and 182 top 10s.

Needless to say, Gordon’s not a bad driver, and the only current Sprint Cup driver that can compare is Johnson, and it would further enhance Gordon’s legacy if he can beat Johnson in the Chase format as he hasn’t been able to challenge Johnson over the last four years. While many fans wouldn’t enjoy it, it’d be a battle to remember if the 2010 season came down to the final lap at Homestead between Gordon and Johnson.

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