Gustafson, Gordon are pleasant partners in chase for fifth Sprint Cup title

The relationship between a crew chief and a stock-car driver is much like a strong marriage, built on a foundation of trust, communication and honesty.

There needs to be a symbiotic interaction, unfiltered, without egos getting in the way. A crew chief is a racing coach, responsible for the car set-ups and race-day strategy and adjustments, always on the fly, with no second to spare.

Just follow the trajectory of the No. 24 Chevy at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday afternoon.

Retiring at 44, Jeff Gordon last won a NASCAR Cup title in 2001 but will be gunning for a remarkable fifth this weekend, a feat that would not be possible without his wing man, Alan Gustafson.

“If you get to a point where you feel like the motivation of the other party isn’t for betterment of the team, then it can get ugly pretty quick,” Gustafson said in Gordon’s hauler recently. “It’s a very important and stressful dynamic, and the way our sport is set up and the way the general public believes, it’s one or the other usually.

“Either one of those two parties is going to be the reason you do well or do bad. That creates a tough relationship. That’s why that bond is important to be tight and bullet-proof.”

Gustafson has vast experience in the crossfire. He has worked for a number of talented, strong and occasional volatile personalities in the sport, including Kyle Busch (2005-07) and Mark Martin (2009-2010), before hooking up with Gordon in 2011.

Like any smart professional, Gustafson has listened and learned and taken notes, drawing from those experiences to become better at his gig. It has helped that Gordon isn’t as high-strung as the others, allowing for interactions without high drama.

“I think he has definitely had to work and hone his skills on how to be that confident powerful leader,” Gordon said. “He has become extremely good at it, but I do think that’s probably something that was not as natural to him as the engineering. He has got a tremendous work ethics and drive. That to me is what makes a great crew chief.”

Busch, Gordon qualify in top five

Denny Hamlin seized the pole position for Sunday’s season-ending Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

But Sprint Cup Series championship contenders Kyle Busch and Jeff Gordon were sitting pretty after qualifying in the top five Friday while defending champion Kevin Harvick, the favorite to take the title, was 13th. Martin Truex Jr., the other member of the Championship 4, qualified 11th.

Hamlin turned in a lap at 176.655 mph to claim his third pole of 2015 and his first in 11 races at Homestead.

Jones becomes youngest trucks champion

Erik Jones won a duel of 19-year-olds to become the youngest champion in the history of the Camping World Truck Series.

Jones placed sixth in Friday’s season-ending Ford EcoBoost 200 to finish 15 points ahead of Tyler Reddick, who was third in the finale.

Jones, of Byron, Mich., also gave Kyle Busch Motorsports its first driver’s championship.

The teenager unseated two-time defending champion Matt Crafton, who gained some consolation by winning his sixth race of the season but ended up third in the standings.

The youngest previous champion was Austin Dillon, who was 21 when he won in 2011.