The Bay Area had a solid showing at the 2011 Pure Michigan 400 with a top ten and top 15 finish. Bay Area-born Jeff Gordon finished sixth after leading for 50 laps, while Los Gatos-native A.J. Allmendinger finished 11th. Kyle Busch took home first place as he held off Jimmie Johnson for his fourth victory of 2011.
Gordon's finish allowed him to climb from seventh to sixth in the Chase for the Sprint Cup standings, as Kurt Busch dropped from sixth to eighth. Gordon is virtually assured a spot in the final Chase, but it's always helpful to add drivers between yourself and the rest of the pack.
A.J. Allmendinger made up some key ground with his 11th place finish. He climbed from 16th to 15th and the points earned leave him one win AND three points from a wild card berth. A win isn't easy, but crazier things can happen. And more importantly, at least A.J. has a shot.
Head after the jump to check out Jeff Gordon's comments following the race.
Jeff Gordon speaks after his sixth place finish