LONG POND, Pa., June 10 (UPI) -- Jeff Gordon won the Pocono 500 Sunday when his crew chief made the right call and had him out front when rains halted the race after 106 laps.
The start of the scheduled 200-lap race was delayed by on-and-off showers and the timing of the final rainstorm of the day determined the winner.
It was the fourth victory of the season for Gordon and the 79th of his Nextel Cup career.
With rains moving closer to the track, crew chief Steve Letarte brought Gordon into the pit on the 83rd lap, surrendering the lead. The rains stayed away, however, and Gordon's challengers eventually also had to pit.
Letarte had it figured that Gordon had enough fuel in his car to get to lap 114 and the rains came in time to save him the pit stop and make him the winner.
Pole-sitter Ryan Newman finished two seconds behind Gordon. Martin Truex, Jr. was third, followed by Casey Mears and Tony Stewart.
