Gordon making most of unprecedented Chase chance, just glad to be in conversation at Texas

Driver Jeff Gordon signs autographs for fans while heading to the garage before practice for Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup series auto race at the Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas, Friday, Nov. 1, 2013. (AP Photo/LM Otero) (The Associated Press)

Driver Jeff Gordon (24) speeds down the strait away practice for Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup series auto race at the Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas, Friday, Nov. 1, 2013. With only three races left in the NASCAR championship chase, and third in the standings, Gordon needs one of those good finishes at the track, where he has 11 top-10 finishes, but also two last-place finishes. (AP Photo/LM Otero) (The Associated Press)

Jeff Gordon says most of his answers will be similar when asked about his Sprint Cup championship chances.

They will usually be along the lines of wait and see what happens.

The four-time Cup champion is just happy to be in the conversation with three races left in the season. And it's better than the questions he was getting earlier this season about retiring or what changes were needed for his team.

Since getting an unprecedented 13th spot in the Chase, he has moved up to a season-high third in points going into Sunday's race at Texas. He won last weekend at Martinsville.

Gordon is within 27 points of co-leaders Matt Kenseth and Jimmie Johnson.