By DAN GELSTON
AP Sports Writer
LONG POND, Pa.(AP) -- Jeff Gordon has a new spotter this weekend
at Pocono Raceway. He won't have to look for a new crew chief
for at least three more years.
Steve Letarte, who has done it all with Gordon except win a
championship, signed a three-year extension this week with
Hendrick Motorsports and has earned more time to bring home that
long-awaited fifth Cup championship.
Letarte, who replaced Robbie Loomis, has been with Gordon since
the September 2005 race at New Hampshire. Gordon has 10 wins, 14
poles and leads NASCAR in top-five finishes since then, but is
winless since Texas in April 2009, a span of 49 races.
"I don't think we can do anything different to try to win races,
but that is definitely our number one priority," Letarte said
Friday after the deal was announced.
Letarte made another big call this week when he decided the time
was right to change Gordon's spotter. Hendrick Motorsports hired
Jeff Dickerson on Wednesday only days after he split with Kyle
Busch.
Dickerson, considered one of the top spotters in the sport,
replaced Shannon McGlamery. McGlamery will still be a mechanic
at Hendrick Motorsports, building the cars for Gordon and
teammate Jimmie Johnson.
"Shannon has done a great job for us, but there's just been
moments in time when I felt the chemistry, the information that
I was looking for, versus what he was giving, wasn't always in
sync," Gordon said. "We agreed on that, and the other thing,
somebody became available who was known to be strong in the
garage area."
Letarte said Dickerson will help Gordon at the end of races.
"Some of the double-file restarts get pretty wild," Letarte
said. "I think his style might maybe suit the races better."
Dickerson had been with Busch since his early days at HMS, and
the driver often credited Dickerson for guiding him on the track
to several victories.
Dickerson became Busch's business manager and agent following
his 2007 firing at Hendrick Motorsports, negotiated Busch's deal
with Joe Gibbs Racing, and continued to represent Busch until
this past winter.
Since the start of this season, his only duty had been spotting
for Busch.
Busch was vague when asked why the two split at this point of
the season. He said Dickerson had other plans at the end of the
season and decided to cut ties now.
He used Eddie D'Hondt last race at Indianapolis.
"Jeff is one of the best spotters in the business," Busch said.
"Will he make a difference for Jeff Gordon to be able to win
races? I don't think a spotter can help you win races."
Mired in the longest losing streak of his career, Gordon will
take all the help he can get these days. He's second in the
points standings, but would be seeded much lower when the Chase
for the Sprint Cup championship starts if he doesn't start
winning races. He's the only driver in the top six of the
standings who doesn't have at least one victory.
"We're just trying to find little pieces here and there to get
ourselves in better shape and position to win races as well as
win this championship," Gordon said.