Gordon not counting rivals out

Gordon, who has led the majority of the championship, remains cautious and is not getting too optimistic about the battle for the championship narrowing to only two drivers, while saying that he doesn't expect his closest rival to have a bad race in the remaining four events of the season.

"We've had a good start to the Chase, but a lot can still happen in the remaining four races," said Gordon. "A lot can happen in one race. In the few years since the Chase began, it seems like the champion has had at least one bad finish during the 10-race stretch.

"But that may not happen this year. Jimmie has been strong and I don't see that team letting up, and Clint (Bowyer) has been consistent. A lot of people are counting Tony (Stewart) out, but that team is capable of going on a tear. Until someone is mathematically eliminated, I'm considering them a threat to win the championship."

Gordon arrives at Atlanta this weekend with a 53-point gap to Johnson in the championship. He has won four times at the 1.5 mile oval, where he finished 12th in the spring race after losing a lap due to a loose panel on his car.

"I love racing at Atlanta because of the multiple grooves in the corner, and we had an awesome car here in the spring," said Gordon. "But we lost a lap on pit road due to repairs. Losing that lap was a mistake on our part. We were able to recover and get back on the lead lap, but we learned from it.

"We have to do everything in our power to make sure something like that doesn't happen again."

His main championship rival, his teammate Johnson, won the event back in March and has been arguably the dominant force in the 1.5 mile ovals this season.