Gordon’s back still hurting him

Jeff Gordon will chase his fifth Sprint Cup title with a bad back. Gordon expects to drive with some discomfort this season and the pain he felt last week at Phoenix International Raceway has not entirely subsided. The four-time Cup champ said the tracks in Richmond, Va.; Martinsville, Va.; Bristol, Tenn.; and the road courses could affect him later this year.

The short tracks would affect Gordon the most because they tend to be more physically grueling.

"I'm getting stronger and I don't expect it to happen overnight and go away," Gordon said Friday at Talladega Superspeedway. "It's going to take time."

Gordon said his creaky back made it difficult to communicate with his team last week (He must have had extreme pain then if he could not even talk), and he couldn't really give crew chief Steve Letarte information and feedback. He refused to use his health as an excuse for a poor performance at Phoenix.