Gordon's '08 highlighted by one word -- winless

The pressure was on Jeff Gordon in 2008. After a record-setting 2007 which saw the four-time Cup champion post six wins, 21 top-fives and 30 top-10 finishes, everyone in the sport expected Gordon to be up top again in '08. Of course, the one glaring omission from his '07 resume -- the championship.

That was supposed to come this season. The No. 24 team was intact and another year with Steve Letarte was supposed to prime Gordon for his fifth title, inching him that much closer to Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt in the record books.

But 2008 will go down as one of the worst seasons for Gordon in his illustrious career. Not only did he not win the title, but for the first time since 1993, his rookie season, Gordon didn't win a race.

Jeff Gordon was on the pole four times in '08.

Things started out like a roller coaster for the No. 24 team. Suspension problems gave Gordon a DNF right out of the box at Daytona. After a strong run at Fontana, Gordon suffered one of the worst crashes of his career the following week at Las Vegas. He rebounded at Atlanta and Martinsville, but the top-fives were few and far between after an impressive second-place run in Southern Virginia.

The problem for Gordon and his team was they just couldn't find the right setup. The team's runs at Texas, Pocono, Michigan, Daytona, Watkins Glen, Talladega, Phoenix and Fontana -- Gordon was rarely happy with his car and Letarte didn't know how to fix it.

That's not to say the season was a total wash. There were back-to-back-to-back top-fives at Darlington, Charlotte and Dover. Gordon battled adversity at Sonoma and finished third. And he closed out the season with a second at Texas and a fourth at Homestead.

But that's not the Gordon his fans and adversaries have come to know. They expect the No. 24 car to be in contention every single week, and in 2008 that just wasn't happening. What was happening was Gordon found himself defending Letarte on a much too frequent basis throughout the season.

Gordon was in unfamiliar territory. He wasn't used to being questioned about his skills, his team or his poor performances. Will this adversity help Gordon in the long run? Only time will tell. If it does, 2008 will not be looked upon as disappointment but as the season that brought Gordon back to the champion he always was.

Goody's Cool Orange 500 at Martinsville Speedway -- Through the first five races, Gordon's season was circling the drain -- and fast. Yes, he had top-five runs at Fontana and Atlanta, but he also finished 39th in the Daytona 500 and 35th at Texas. After dominating 2007, Hendrick Motorsports as a team came to Martinsville without a victory. That streak remained after 500 laps. But for Gordon, starting on the pole and finishing second to Denny Hamlin was just what the No. 24 team needed after such an up-and-down the first five weeks of the season. Unfortunately for Gordon, those top-five finishes were few and far between.

Samsung 500 at Texas Motor Speedway -- The year started out as a struggle for Gordon, but in the seventh race of the season at Texas, it was clear that 2008 was not to be Gordon's year. Sitting ninth in points after Martinsville, Gordon for the first time in the season found himself in the top 12 in the point standings. He qualified 18th, but as soon as the green dropped, he knew it was not to be his race as his No. 24 Chevrolet was garbage from the beginning. After 110 laps, Gordon lost control and smacked the wall. He took his car right to the garage, telling crew chief Steve Letarte he couldn't drive it and to change everything. Gordon finished last for just the second time in his career, and it was a microcosm of how his '08 season would go.

Jeff Gordon: 2008 Video Highlights | Superstore | Community Crew