▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁was ▁at ▁Phoenix , ▁t ying ▁Dar rell ▁W alt rip ' s ▁modern - day ▁record ▁of ▁ 5 9 ▁pol es , ▁followed ▁by ▁t ying ▁D ale ▁E arn hardt ▁for ▁sixth ▁all - time ▁in ▁overall ▁number ▁of ▁Cup ▁wins . ▁At ▁T alla de ga , ▁he ▁recorded ▁his ▁ 7 7 th ▁career ▁Next el ▁Cup ▁victory , ▁to ▁the ▁dis may ▁of ▁the ▁fans , ▁who ▁began ▁throwing ▁be er ▁can s ▁at ▁Gordon ' s ▁car . ▁Gordon ▁would ▁win ▁five ▁more ▁times ▁during ▁the ▁season , ▁at ▁Dar ling ton , ▁Po cono , ▁T alla de ga ▁and ▁Charlotte ; ▁Gordon ' s ▁seven ▁pol es ▁occurred ▁at ▁Font ana , ▁Br istol , ▁four ▁consecutive ▁at ▁Texas , ▁Phoenix , ▁T alla de ga ▁and ▁Richmond , ▁Day ton a , ▁Wat kins ▁Glen , ▁Michigan ▁and ▁Mart ins ville . ▁However , ▁Gordon ▁finished ▁the ▁Ch ase ▁second ▁in ▁the ▁stand ings ▁to ▁HMS ▁team mate ▁J imm ie ▁Johnson ▁by ▁ 7 7 ▁points . ▁Gordon ▁finished ▁the ▁year ▁with ▁ 3 0 ▁top ▁tens , ▁setting ▁a ▁new ▁modern ▁era ▁Next el ▁Cup ▁Series ▁record . ▁This ▁marked ▁the ▁second ▁time ▁that ▁Gordon ▁lost ▁a ▁championship ▁because ▁of ▁the ▁Ch ase ▁points ▁system . ▁Had ▁the ▁Ch ase ▁not ▁existed , ▁Gordon ▁would ▁have ▁won ▁the ▁championship ▁by ▁ 3 5 3 ▁points . ▁ ▁From ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁to ▁ 2