MARTINSVILLE -- Jeff Gordon has dominated. Rallied. And used the front bumper to win at Martinsville Speedway.

While his seven track wins differ in style, Gordon's triumphs can be traced to how he analyzes a NASCAR Nextel Cup race, pressures his foes, and protects his car. That mental approach has helped him conquer this half-mile track where he has won four of the last six races.

"I think he's one of the few drivers that thinks about things and doesn't put himself in a position to have to abuse his talents to get him out of it,'' Kyle Petty says of Gordon.

"There are a lot of drivers out here that will just drive a car off into a wall either counting on somebody else to save them or thinking their talent is going to get them out of it. Jeff just won't put himself in that position.''

Critics say that Gordon lost his head after he shoved Matt Kenseth last weekend at Bristol in retaliation for a last-lap bump. Such an outburst is rare for Gordon, who usually finds the balance between releasing and reining his aggression.

His self-control has helped him win at a track where driver skill plays a greater role because aerodynamics is not as important. Martinsville had different winners in 11 consecutive races before Gordon's string started in 2003 when he tapped Bobby Labonte out of the lead with 14 laps left. Today, in the DirecTV 500, Gordon attempts to become the first driver in more than a decade to win three consecutive Martinsville races.

"I think sometimes we hit short tracks and everybody feels that they can be really aggressive and slide the car around,'' said Gordon's teammate Jimmie Johnson, who starts from the pole, while Gordon starts eighth. "Jeff, he's sharp and knows what to do and how to make the car last.''

Gordon's greatest Martins-ville triumph came last spring when he appeared to abandon rational thinking to rally from three laps down to win. He drove the car harder than normal to make up his laps and was sixth with 150 laps to go.

"You're just pounding the heck out of that thing and driving it so aggressively,'' Gordon said. "You don't care about the brakes or the fenders, using up the tires or any of the equipment.''

His brakes began to overheat. Gordon settled down, took it easier through the corners and allowed the brakes to cool before his final charge.

"You kind of put yourself in a mode of more defensive than offensive where you run consistent laps and make sure that guys can't get runs on you,'' he said. "I knew we had 150 laps to go, we just ran for a while to cool them back down.''

Gordon led the last 36 laps.

His victory last fall was just as different. He had one of the strongest cars but couldn't pass Tony Stewart or Rusty Wallace, who ran first and second. Gordon experimented with his car as he chased.

"Every lap you drive you're, 'OK, can I enter [the corners] a little bit later, can I get on the brakes sooner, get off it sooner?'" he said. "At the same time you're thinking what do I need and where do I need to be better if I can't do it by changing my lines and different things and you feed that information back to the team.''

A decision not to pit moved Gordon into the lead for the first time with about 150 laps left. He briefly lost it on a restart, got it back and led the last 141 laps to win again.

He might not have survived either of those races had he not known how to handle traffic. Forty-three cars on a tight, paper clip-shaped speedway creates congestion. Mishandle the packs of slower cars in front and a driver can get passed.

Petty says Gordon excels in traffic and that he doesn't often knock drivers out of the way. Gordon sets up many passes by trailing a driver through the corners to make sure the slower car knows Gordon is behind. He'll make his move off turn 2 or turn 4. That approach also can force the driver Gordon is stalking to make a mistake and allow Gordon to move by sooner.

Gordon's care often has few, if any, tire marks on the doors or dents elsewhere, while other cars are crinkled and crumpled.

"There are certain times when you can maybe intimidate certain people to force them to make a mistake,'' Gordon says. "There are other people you know that you've got to make a clean pass. I try to make clean passes. That's something that I've been doing since I was 7 years old and that's the way I like to do it. It doesn't mean I always do it that way, but that's the way I prefer to do it.''

Gordon can make those moves because his car usually handles well at Martinsville. Gordon starts working on his car's setup before the race weekend arrives. He discusses the car's setup with his crew chief days before the event. That's not uncommon among teams, but Gordon's detail is pivotal, says former crew chief Robbie Loomis.

Post-practice huddles are as intense. Gordon showed Loomis where the car got loose, where it didn't turn as well and where he needed more acceleration on a track map.

"If he were to run over a quarter on the race track, he'd tell you exactly where that quarter was laying and ... he'd tell you if it was on heads or tail,'' Loomis says. "Some guys are going to tell you that there's a quarter out there. Some guys are not even going to see the quarter.''

Just as some drivers aren't thinking about what to do the next time they return to a track after the race.

Stewart's late charge in last fall's race nearly spoiled Gordon's victory. Gordon knew he needed a better car next time because Stewart would be better.

Gordon told crew chief Steve Letarte they had to improve the car's brakes. Gordon says that's one area Stewart's team has excelled and it allows Stewart to enter the corner harder. Gordon wants the same feeling.

"Once I get focused on something that's the only thing I focus on,'' Gordon says. "That can be good or bad in life, but in racing, it's typically pretty good."