21.   Gordon proved a long time ago that he has few equals on a road course.

22.   He could run dirt, short asphalt, big asphalt, road courses.

23.   He expected the road course in Buckhead would consist of wide boulevards and was surprised by the narrow streets, plus the many curves and turns.

24.   He has won on superspeedways, short tracks and road courses.

25.   He described the course as a Saugus Speedway version of a road course.

26.   He learned of the accident after he had run second, naturally, to Gordon on the road course at Watkins Glen, N.Y.

27.   He recently took a spin around the road course at Sears Point in a Corvette, and it rekindled his competitive desires.

28.   He immediately began to pass trucks, a feat that can be difficult on a road course, and eventually kept alive the string of top-five finishes.

29.   He runs on road courses in the Trans-Am Series.

30.   His recent ninth-place finish in a NASCAR Busch Grand National race on the challenging road course in Watkins Glen, N.Y., has fortified his self-confidence.