Jeff Gordon: Middle of the Pack Start Will Be Beneficial to Three-Time Champ

In the world of racing, the last thing you ever want have on your back is a target. If racers see you as a threat, they will do everything in their power to minimize that. As big of a name as Jeff Gordon is, starting in the 16th position will keep him under the radar. While Gordon won't win the race, he'll finish in a much better position than he started in. 

Starting from the No. 16 spot (see below) will guarantee that Gordon will fly under the radar, at least through the beginning of the race. If anything, he and his teammates will be working together to try to get to the front of the pack and into the Top 10 fairly early on. 

In general, Gordon is just not one of the top names in the sport anymore. He still brings a lot of fame, but his productivity over the last few years in the Sprint Cup has been less than stellar. 

Since winning his last points championship in 2001, Gordon has only one second-place finish, which came in 2007. He has been serviceable for sure, just not great, especially when you consider that he's a four-time champion. 

What this means is that teams and drivers everywhere are going to have their attention elsewhere. Gordon will simply not be a target. He is not the topic of many conversations for Daytona, or the season in general. The last thing you ever want to do against someone with Gordon's track record is to overlook him. 

Expect to see him come out and have a determined race. Gordon won't necessarily be on anyone's radar at the beginning of it, but it won't take long to remember just how great this guy is. 

Carl Edwards will also have a determination this year at Daytona. That, on top of the fact that he's on the pole, will be enough to bring Edwards the elusive win.

But Gordon will make his way through the field, finishing easily in the Top Five. This will be a resurgent year for the former champion, and it will start with a great performance at the opener in Daytona. 

Full Daytona 500 Lineup per Connie Ann Kirk, Rochester Motorsports Examiner.

Row 1:
Carl Edwards
Greg, Biffle
Row 2:
Tony Stewart
Matt Kenseth
Row 3:
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Regan Smith
Row 4:
Marcos Ambrose
Jimmie Johnson
Row 5:
Jeff Burton
Elliott Sadler
Row 6:
Michael McDowell
Joey Logano
Row 7:
Kevin Harvick
Kyle Busch
Row 8:
A. J. Allmendinger
Jeff Gordon
Row 9:
Robby Gordon
Ryan Newman
Row 10:
Jamie McMurray
Kasey Kahne
Row 11:
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Mark Martin
Row 12:
Brad Keselowski
Dave Blaney
Row 13:
David Ragan
Martin Truex Jr.
Row 14:
Aric Almirola
Kurt Busch
Row 15:
Danica Patrick
Clint Bowyer
Row 16:
Denny Hamlin
Bobby Labonte
Row 17:
David Gilliland
Joe Nemechek
Row 18:
Juan Pablo Montoya
Casey Mears
Row 19:
Paul Menard
David Reutimann
Row 20:
Landon Cassill
Trevor Bayne
Row 21:
Tony Raines
David Stremme
Row 22:
Terry Labonte

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