Watkins Glen: Qualifying Notes

JEFF GORDON, NO. 24 DUPONT CHEVROLET, QUALIFIED 16TH: ON THE RACE CAR DURING QUALIFYING:  "I felt some real positive things in the car for sure.  The car turned a little bit better to the left that I was expecting.  We gave up a little on the lefts, but I saw some things that have some real potential and very happy about that.  Thank Steve Letarte (crew chief) and this entire DuPont Chevrolet team for working so hard.  While that is going to be about a second off the pace, it's certainly a big gain from yesterday.  Have to thank Tony Stewart and all the guys at Stewart-Haas for helping us out.  I think we found some things that are going to be a big gain for the race tomorrow and something to work on in the future so I'm excited about that."

ARE YOU HAPPY WITH YOUR QUALIFYING LAP?:  "I'm happy compared to yesterday.  Yesterday we really struggled and that's the best lap we've done since we've been here.  I know what it's going to take to qualify up front and it's going to take a lot more than that.  We just have to wait and see what some of the other guys run.  We were working through a lot of issues yesterday and I think we found some things that were definitely a positive."

IS THERE A SPECIFIC RANGE YOU NEED TO QUALIFY HERE TO DO WELL IN THE RACE?:  "I like to think that top-six or eight.  This is one of those tracks where track position is real important, but it also depends on how the cautions fall.  This is one of those tracks and road courses in general are real strategy-based.  If the caution falls at the right time for you then you can catch a lucky break and not have to start up front and still make some pretty amazing things happen.  We don't ever give up on it until that checkered flag waves."