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Jeff Gordon had a medical procedure on his ailing back Monday and reported that “it went well.”

The NASCAR Sprint Cup series driver has struggled with back pain in recent years and it has gotten progressively worse.

Gordon said in a statement he underwent a facet block procedure Monday. That typically is where a needle is inserted into center of the facet joint to inject an anti-inflammatory medication. The facet joints are small stabilizing joints located between and behind adjacent vertebrae. The procedure can take less than 30 minutes.

“I was a little sore after the procedure, but I’ll definitely take that brief bit of soreness if it stops the recurring back pain I’ve had,” Gordon said in a statement issued Tuesday. “I hope that will end the back issues I’ve been having, but it’s too early to tell if that fixed the problem.”

Gordon should find out soon how well the procedure worked. He is scheduled to participate in a karting event today for the Jeff Gordon Foundation and the Jeff Gordon Children’s Hospital in Concord, then practice and qualify Thursday for the Coca-Cola 600. He’ll also have two practice sessions Saturday and the season’s longest race Sunday.

“I’m really looking forward to the event,” Gordon said in the statement. “Obviously, I want to see how my back does, but I also think we can challenge for the win.”

LOOKING FOR HELP: Kasey Kahne, the 2008 Coca-Cola 600 winner, says he can’t wait until the Dover race May 31 because it’s the first time his Richard Petty Motorsports team is scheduled to use the new Dodge engine. The team has used older Dodge motors this year.

Kurt Busch has used the newer version to climb to third in the points for Penske Racing. Busch has said the engine has played a key role in his team’s turnaround from last season.

Kahne, who is 16th in Sprint Cup points, hopes the engine can do the same for him.

“When we get the R-6 (engine) for Dover, I think that’s going to be a big help,” Kahne said. “Hopefully, we get that and that will ... show how good our cars really are.”

Kahne, an advocate of the newer engine, has not finished in the top 10 in the last six points races. He’s fallen seven spots in the season standings during that time.

NEW LOOK: Jimmie Johnson will sport a new ’do this weekend at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.

Let him explain:

“I was at a friend’s house for a barbecue on Sunday,” Johnson said. “And his kids thought — there were a bunch of neighborhood kids — they thought it would be a great idea to shave our heads. And one of the fathers agreed to do it.

“Then, once he pulled it off, he started harassing me to shave my head and the kids were there and they wanted to do it so bad. And I let them shave my head. So it was funny. Got some great photos and the kids all had a great laugh.

“And what the heck, it will grow back. It will take a couple of weeks and it will be back to where it was. My wife, she couldn’t look at me for like 10 minutes. She was laughing. And once I get some sun on my scalp I think it will look a lot better. It’s a little white and bright now.”

PIT STOPS: Kurt Busch will drive the same Sprint Cup car this weekend that he won with at Atlanta this season. ... Tony Stewart turns 38 today. ... Joey Logano turns 19 on Sunday, the day of the Coca-Cola 600. ... Penske Racing has hired Sean Powell as its head strength and conditioning coach. Powell worked with the NFL’s Carolina Panthers for the past eight years.

Contact Dustin Long at 373-7062 or dustin.long@news-record.com