Gordon suffering through worst season of his career

He currently stands 15th in the points race.

LOUDON, N.H. -- Jeff Gordon is in the midst of his worst season, and hardly has the look of a contender for NASCAR's Nextel Cup championship.

But he isn't seeking a scapegoat, and if he were it wouldn't be crew chief Robbie Loomis. One of the most common remedies for problems in NASCAR is to fire the man responsible for setting up a failing car. Gordon has no intention of doing that.

"As long as Robbie wants to be the crew chief, he's going to be the crew chief," Gordon said at New Hampshire International Speedway, where he'll race Sunday in the New England 300. "He works so well with this race team. We brought him here for a reason."

That reason wasn't to stand a career-worst 15th with only eight races remaining until the field is reduced to the top 10 drivers and any others within 400 points -- an unlikely scenario -- of the leader. Gordon is 502 points behind pacesetter Jimmie Johnson and 126 out of 10th place.

Despite being saddled with six points-robbing failures to finish in 18 starts, the four-time series champion won't blame Loomis.

"At no time have I doubted Robbie," Gordon said. "There have been times when I've doubted myself. But I know we've got the right people in place and the right team and the resources we need."

Still, Gordon has no answers in a season that probably will end without him being part of the big show. The worst career finish in his first 12 years on NASCAR's elite circuit was 14th in points in his rookie campaign of 1993.

The failures have been so rampant -- including five recent finishes of 30th or worse -- that Gordon isn't even in position to make a run at the top 10 without those immediately in front having consistent problems from now until the cutdown for the Chase for the Championship. The elite field will be finalized after the race Sept. 10 in Richmond.

Franchitti wins IRL race

Dario Franchitti dipped inside Patrick Carpentier with seven laps to go and then drove away with the Firestone Indy 200 at Nashville Superspeedway on Saturday night. The win was the first this seaon for Franchitti, who lives in Tennessee with his wife, Ashley Judd.

Rookie Danica Patrick finished seventh.