DOVER, Del. - Four-time NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon said Friday he will have to retire if he continues to suffer the same, excruciating back pain that he did before last weekends Coca-Cola 600. The 42-year-old Gordon is in no hurry to slow down. But he said he hopes he has found some solutions to the back woes that nearly forced him out of NASCARs longest race. Gordon cut short his practice runs last week because of back spasms and there was some concern whether or not he would be able to race. Regan Smith was on standby and Gordon needed treatment after the practice session. But he wound up in his familiar seat behind the wheel of the No. 24 and finished seventh, his ninth top-10 finish in 12 races this season. Gordon knows consistent, shooting pain like he suffered at Charlotte Motor Speedway could drive him toward an early retirement. "I can tell you, if that happens many more times, I wont have a choice," Gordon said Friday at Dover Motor Speedway. Gordon had soreness Monday and Tuesday, though that didnt deviate too much from how he would feel after driving 600 grueling miles. He said his back is not at 100 per cent, and probably never will be behind the wheel. At Daytona this year, Gordon insisted he was serious about considering retirement should he win a fifth championship. He looks every bit a title contender — he has a win and holds the points lead — and gutting out Charlotte proved to his Hendrick Motorsports team "its going to take a lot to get us down." Gordon suffered serious issues years ago in his back, specifically his lower spine, and needed anti-inflammatory medication and workouts with a trainer to return to full strength. He drove in pain during a winless 2008 season and briefly contemplated retirement. For all his back woes, Gordon said he never felt the stabbing pain there like he did last weekend. Gordon said hell make adjustments to his race weekend routine to keep his back loose to withstand hours crunched in a stock car. He needs to stay active and not sit during lengthy breaks in practice and qualifying. Gordon sat more than three hours last week between practice and qualifying, a gap that left he believed led his creaky back to a breakdown. "Once that happened, there was nothing that was going to fix it until I had those injections on Saturday," he said. Gordon has no standby driver at Dover. He felt fine on Friday. But once inside the No. 24, all bets are off. "Its just something I continue to learn and push through," he said. "Its no big deal." Chicago Blackhawks Pro Shop . In mens doubles, Vancouvers Vasek Pospisil and American Jack Sock reached the quarter-finals with a 7-6 (3), 7-6 (3), 6-4 win over Croatian Mate Pavic and Andre Sa of Brazil. Cheap Blackhawks Jerseys . 1 goaltender tonight when they conclude a four-game road trip versus the Winnipeg Jets. https://www.cheapblackhawks.com/. -- Steven Stamkos scored his first goal since returning from a major injury, Ryan Callahan had his first goal with Tampa Bay, and the Lightning beat the Florida Panthers 5-4 on Thursday night. Blackhawks Jerseys China . "Last year we were in a ton of situations, late-game situations we couldnt pull out. Wed kind of fold under the pressure, get frustrated or let a big shot frustrate us," guard DeMar DeRozan said. Chicago Blackhawks Store . Neither side would publicly confirm or deny any discussions were taking place, until the near unexpected happened. On Saturday night sources confirmed to TSN, the league and players agreed to terms on a new, tentative CBA, pending ratification by the unions players. A league source confirmed the CFLs board of governors must also ratify any potential agreement.TORONTO -- Toronto Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista has defended his failed attempt to steal third Friday night, saying he was just trying to get something going. With the Jays trailing Boston 5-0 with one out in the fourth inning, Bautista doubled. But after Edwin Encarnacion walked, Bautista was caught trying to steal third. Dioner Navarro then popped up to end the Toronto threat. The Red Sox went on to win 8-1, with Boston starter Jake Peavey calling the failed Bautista steal "a shot in the arm for us." Asked what Bautista was thinking by trying to take third, Toronto manager John Gibbons replied: "Ive got no idea. Its not smart winning baseball. Im sure he wont do it again." Bautistas explanation Saturday was that he was saw an opportunity to improve his teams position. "I thought it was a great chance to get two guys in scoring positioon, even though we were down 5-0," he said.dddddddddddd "Obviously, the only thing I regret is that I didnt make it. "But the pitcher was being slow to the plate. I thought I had a pretty good idea that the pitch was going to be a breaking ball, and I also know that the catchers not the best catch-and-throw catcher in the league. Maybe my lead wasnt that big. Maybe I didnt get off to a great running start. But I thought it was a great opportunity for us to get two runners in scoring position with less than two outs. Sometimes you take chances and it doesnt work out, and thats part of the game. "The only way you can make a mistake is if youre out there on the bases. It just didnt work out for us last night." Bautista clearly hoped Encarnacion might follow his lead on the bases, but said he did not have a chance to flash his teammate a sign. ' ' '