Jeff Gordon had to watch from the garage as the cars zoomed around the track at Dover, Del., putting him another lap down every mile they drove.

As frustration mounted within him -- a man who was just a stone's throw from first place in the points entering the race but surely would be dealt a blow by the time this event was over -- things became clear for everyone at the race or at home watching on television.

	A strong performance at Kansas is critical to Jeff Gordon's hopes for a fifth championship.

Of course, if there were some who missed it, NBC Analyst Benny Parsons summed it up nicely.

"If he's going to do it, Gordon needs to step up this weekend in Kansas City," Parsons said of Gordon's championship hopes.

Gordon was knocked out of last weekend's race on lap 65 when he was caught up in a wreck that was not his fault. Dozens of laps passed before he finally returned to the track to limp around the Monster Mile collecting as many points as he could. By day's end, he was 190 points out of first with four drivers ahead of him.

Dale Jarrett, who had called Gordon the "man to beat" for the past few weeks even though Sterling Marlin and Mark Martin were the ones in the lead, had to muster an explanation.

"That just shows what I know," Jarrett joked.

But, then in all seriousness, Jarrett maintained his belief that 190 points and four drivers to pass was not something he would put past Gordon.

"I don't think by any means you can count Jeff Gordon and his race team out," Jarrett said. "I know Rusty (Wallace) is right there, too, but, certainly, two out of the last three weeks, and even at Loudon (N.H.), it wasn't a typical race for Jeff and his team. I know at Richmond (Va.) they had some problems and again this past weekend. They put themselves in a position I know they didn't want to be in -- getting that far behind -- but I wouldn't count them out."

The words were much appreciated after the day Gordon had Sunday. His car just wouldn't go early on, which stuck him in the back of the pack where a wreck would ruin any chance of a good day.

"Well, Todd Bodine got sideways," Gordon said. "I don't know if he had help or what, but we shouldn't have been back there in all that stuff anyway. We were really struggling. We couldn't pass anybody. We were just trying to bide our time and make adjustments and get to the end and have the car in once piece, but it didn't work out. As soon as he turned sideways somebody got me from behind and turned me sideways.

"(My car) started out real, real tight. And then it got real loose. We were bouncing back and forth between loose and tight. This place changes a lot throughout the day and I think we were set-up more for what it's going to be like later in the day and we were just trying to hold our own and make some adjustments and wait for it to come to us."

Of course, he never had the chance to wait long enough. But maybe there's a lesson in there. This late in the game, Gordon and his No. 24 Chevrolet team cannot wait for anything to come to them. They've got to go out and get whatever they need. Starting with a good run this weekend at Kansas Speedway.

And it won't be easy, either. No matter how far Gordon is in the standings, the top four are still looking over their shoulders for him. Nobody seems to want to count him out, yet.

One reason is because the 31-year-old has been so good down the stretch in his 10-year career, which has helped him win four championships.

Another reason folks still include Gordon in the mix is because the late Alan Kulwicki was able to rally back from a 278-point deficit in 1992 to win the title on the last day of the season. But, it should be noted, Kulwicki only had to pass two competitors -- meaning he just had to outperform two drivers. While Gordon has to hope for solid runs over the next eight races, even that won't be enough. He needs for points leader Martin, his teammate Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart and Marlin all to falter while he puts together those runs.

But there is a third reason Gordon is still not stricken from talk of title contenders.

Kansas City, here we come.

Gordon, who has made a reputation for himself for figuring out tracks quickly -- because he has won so many inaugural races at new facilities -- is the defending winner at Kansas, which held its inaugural race last year.

Ol' No. 24 is the car to beat there and, if it doesn't get beat, the complexion of one of the tightest points races in history could change yet again.

"My secret is a team led by (crew chief) Robbie Loomis," said Gordon, speaking to what he thought would earn him a good run this weekend and what he though has earned him good runs in so many inaugural events. "They put incredible race cars underneath me. One thing that they're extremely good at is getting a lot of good information when we go to a new track and adapting quickly to a new environment.

"Last year the fastest way around the track was along the bottom, but I think we may see an outside groove start to come in this weekend. This facility is top notch. It's one of the best tracks that we go to and they do a great job of taking care of not just the competitors but the media and the fans as well. This place is like a fine wine, it's only going to get better with age."

Ah, but flattery will get you nowhere at the track. It's going to take a performance like Gordon mustered at Bristol, Tenn., and Darlington, S.C. A showing like the eight others this year that brought Gordon home in the top five.

But, then again, Gordon knows this. He's run for the title before. He knows he doesn't have any room left for error. He knows his hopes hinge heavily on Sunday. "We're working really hard for this race," Gordon said. "We're doing some things in the wind tunnel and these guys are working their tails off to get our aero package better at these bigger tracks. But If there is one thing that I can count on about this team is that they are going to fight until the end. There is absolutely no let-up in these guys."

Rupen Fofaria is a beat writer for The Raleigh News & Observer.