#7 Team Past News and Rumors
NOTE: many of the links in the past news will be old and may not work
decided it was not worth the time to go thru each one on all the Team Past News pages
2007 News
Camping World scheme for #7 at Homestead: Camping World will be the primary sponsor of the #7 Ford that Robby Gordon drives, for the fourth time in the Nextel Cup Series this year. Jim Beam, Menards, Mapei and Motorola all will serve as associates. Camping World Inc., is America's largest direct marketer and specialty retailer of RV and outdoor camping accessories and services. Over 8,000 quality products are available through nationwide SuperCenters, a well-established catalog call center and an award-winning Web site. The company has grown from a single store in Bowling Green, KY to more than 75 SuperCenters with more than 500 service bays, in 25 states and plans to reach the 100 mark by 2008.(Robby Gordon Motorsports PR), see images of the scheme on the #7 Team Schemes page.(11-16-2007)
Robby finishes 5thoverall in Baja 1000: Robby Gordon and his #71 Monster Energy / Toyo Tires trophy truck finished a respectable third in his class and fifth overall for the 40th annual Baja 1000. Gordon and his Nextel Cup crew will return back to the United States on Thursday and head straight to the season finale in Homestead, Miami. Gordon started a new tradition by taking the majority of his Cup crew on the Baja adventure. Gordon's reason - to give his team an up close look at what his off-road racing is all about.(Robby Gordon Motorsports PR), Legendary driver Rod Hall of Reno, Nev., set another record Thursday by winning his 19th class title in the world’s most famous desert race, the 40th Tecate SCORE Baja 1000. Hall, who turns 70 years old on Nov. 22, drove his factory Hummer to the
Stock Mini production class win to continue his remarkable record on the peninsula of Baja California. Hall is one of only two racers to have competed in all forty Baja 1000 events and he now has won in nearly half of the grueling contests. Motorcyclist Ron Bishop of Escondido, Calif., is the other racer with 40 Baja 1000 starts. Bishop, 64, finished 17th in Class 22 (motorcycles 250cc or larger) this year.(SCORE Desert Series PR)(11-16-2007)
Robby heading to Baja: Robby Gordon returns to Ensenada, Mexico with one thing on his mind - looking to repeat the performance from last year's Baja 1000. 2006 marked Gordon's third Baja 1000 victory of his prestigious off road career. Gordon once again will dismiss the logistical challenges of racing multiple races in various locations. After the completion of the Nextel Cup race in Phoenix on Sunday and before heading to Homestead, Miami for NASCAR's season finale, Gordon and crew will head to Ensenada for Tuesday's running of the 40th Baja 1000, a 1296 mile event through the rugged terrain of Mexico. On Tuesday morning, Robby Gordon and co-driver Gregg Till will start from fourth place in the Monster Energy / Toyo Tires Trophy Truck in Ensenada. As the course progresses through the Mexico, Gordon will turn the truck over to Dale Ebberts in Catavina – about 400 miles into
the race. Ebberts will race his way to San Ignatio, which is about 695 miles into the race. At this point, Gordon will return the helm of the Monster Energy / Toyo Tires trophy truck and continue to the finish line in Cabo San Lucas. Every year the competition in Baja gets tougher and teams look for every advantage they can get. This year Gordon's Nextel Cup team is kicking in with almost the entire road team attending. The over the wall crew will be adding a new activity to their resumes - changing tires on the trophy truck at various locations on the course. The almost 1300 mile race will take the better part of 20 hours to complete. This year Jim Beam has teamed up with Robby Gordon Off-Road to provide live updates via Twitter. Twitter is a mobile micro blogging service that will allow the team to text message updates from satellite phone. Fans can sign up and have the updates sent directly to their mobile phones for free (please note that standard service plan charges still apply).(RGM PR), see the Tracker page at robbygordon.com.(11-11-2007)
New Hood, Same Sponsor for Robby Gordon: The #7 Menards / Mapei Ford Fusion will feature a new hood this weekend in Texas to promote Mapei's newest product, Opticolor stain-free grout. Optiocolor stain-free grout is an innovative new grout that is easy for the installer to apply and easy for the homeowner or property owner to maintain. Opticolor stain-free grout also comes in 14 new colors, giving a total of 36 colors that provide the optimum in good looks for tile installations. Opticolor adds a new dimension to MAPEI's repertoire of optimum-performance products. Jim Beam and Motorola will serve as associates.(RGM PR)(11-2-2007)
Sauter to RGM with Yellow? UPDATES: Johnny Sauter is still, as far as he knows, the driver of the #70 Yellow Transportation Chevy for the same team, but Scott Riggs has been signed by the team for 2008. That leaves Sauter in an interesting position: Does he have a job or not? He has a sponsor in Yellow Transportation that is committed to the series, and they seem happy with Sauter. Latest is that Sauter will go to a second team with Robby Gordon, taking Yellow with him.(NASCAR.com)(10-24-2007)
UPDATE: #70-Johnny Sauter is currently without a ride for the 2008 Sprint Cup season, but he believes he has done enough this year to prove he deserves another year at the sport's highest level. Sauter, who is being let go from Haas CNC Racing at the end of the season, is 31st in points while the team is 33rd. "I am not sure what the future holds but at the end of the day all I want to do is race and be competitive, whether it is in Cup, Busch or trucks," Sauter said.(SceneDaily.com)(10-25-2007)
UPDATE: Johnny Sauter is trying hard to land a Cup deal for next season – but it won’t be with Robby Gordon Motorsports. A source said Sunday the rumored deal with Gordon to start a second team – with Sauter bringing Yellow Transportation as a sponsor – is not going to happen. The 29–year-old continues to be rumored to handful of Busch Series rides for next season while finishing out the Cup schedule driving the #70 Haas CNC Racing Chevy. Gordon, who had previously expressed a desire to start a second team, has yet to announce funding for his primary car.(Frontstretch.com)(10-30-2007)
Sospenzo back at track after health scare: Peter Sospenzo was back in the garage at Atlanta Motor Speedway less than a week after being hospitalized because of dizziness. The 50-year-old crew chief for Robby Gordon said doctors still are unsure what caused the dizziness last Sunday. He went to the infield care center at Martinsville Speedway when the dizziness didn't go away, and the doctors were concerned that he was having a transient ischemic attack, a condition created when a blood clot temporarily clogs an artery. Sospenzo had a CAT scan Sunday and an MRI on Monday and both were negative. He took a couple of days off and was back at the shop Thursday. (SceneDaily.com).(10-28-2007)
#7 Crew Chief Sospenzo hospitalized: Early Sunday morning the #7 Robby Gordon Motorsports team received shocking news at Martinsville Speedway. Peter Sospenzo, Robby Gordon's crew chief, was taken to the hospital [in Martinsville] for further diagnosis after reporting symptoms of dizziness. Later in the afternoon, Sospenzo was moved to a hospital closer to his family. At this point, the diagnosis is still inconclusive. The team pulled together and decided that car chief, Bill Henderson, would call the race in Sospenzo's absence. “First and foremost, my thoughts and prayers are with Peter and his family. Peter is a good person and I hate that he is going through this,” said Gordon. “Today was really difficult altogether, especially with Peter not being here. The #7 team did a great job pulling together. Bill and the guys did great getting me back out on the track. It was the same thing as Charlotte, we were out there by ourselves making laps and trying to salvage a decent point’s day, but we weren’t really racing anyone. Even after we wrecked, we were fast when we were racing in the pack. It’s just frustrating when you know you could race well, but you’re not actually racing for position.”(RGM PR)(10-22-2007)
Robby Gordon Sponsorship for 2008 Coming Together: From an interview at NASCAR.com: "I … went to a sponsor meeting with Menards, actually with MAPEI and they're coming back next year [as a Sprint Cup sponsor] so we're real happy about that and just finalizing that deal. For next season we're good with Menards and MAPEI and we've got a couple new ones, we believe, though they're not fully signed yet -- but I'm pretty confident our #7 car is covered."(NASCAR.com)(10-21-2007)
Sauter in Limbo for 2008: UPDATE: #70-Johnny Sauter is receiving mixed signals about his future at Haas CNC Racing but believes the overriding message from the team is clear. "The word put to me is we're not going to tell you that you have a job, we're not going to tell you that you don't," Sauter said. "They haven't said I'm going to be released, but yet they're saying I should be out there looking for something. That means I need a job, you know what I mean? The fact that I've been told to look strongly suggests that I should start beating the bushes." The team has hired Scott Riggs for the 2008 season but hasn't said whether he'll be filling Sauter's #70 Chevy or Jeff Green's #66. Sauter said he hasn't been told if he's competing with Green for the team's second seat. "I don't have a clue," he said. "I've never been in limbo quite like this before." The three-time winner in the Busch Series would like to stay in NASCAR's premier series, but the prospects seem dim because most of next season's open rides have been filled.(USA Today)(10-19-2007)
UPDATE: Robby Gordon Motorsports is prepared to add a second Nextel Cup team in 2008, and team owner Robby Gordon said Friday that Johnny Sauter is a candidate, provided he can bring sponsorship. "We're speaking with Johnny Sauter, who could potentially be available," Gordon said Friday at Martinsville Speedway. "It depends on sponsorship -- either sponsorship he brings or helps me find. It's hard to find [sponsorship] unless the sponsor says, 'That's my guy.' " Gordon said his shop is ready to integrate a second team, and that RGM has nine Cars of Tomorrow completed.(ESPN.com)(10-20-2007)
Robby to debut Mac Tools scheme and run in the dirt at TMS: This weekend's event will mark the debut appearance of the #7 Mac Tools Ford of Robby Gordon. Jim Beam, Menards, Mapei, and Motorola will serve as associates. Gordon will also race in the Championship Off Road Racing (CORR) Series race this weekend at the Texas Motor Speedway. He will be racing in both the Lucas Oil Series Pro 2 point's races as well as the Pro 2 Jason Baldwin Cup Qualifier [no word how that will effect his Cup schedule and practice]. (RGM PR), see images of the Mac Tools scheme on the #7 Team Schemes page, [Been told Gordon will not miss any Cup practice and will qualify the car].(10-19-2007)
Verizon & Motorola Team up with Robby Gordon Motorsports: October marks Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and Verizon Wireless, Motorola, and Robby Gordon Motorsports are trying to help raise community awareness about domestic violence and its societal impact. One out of 3 American women report being abused at some point in their lifetime, and 21 percent of full-time, employed adults report they have been a victim. See full info on the Racing Charities page.(Robby Gordon Motorsports PR), also Gordon will have Motorola sponsorship in the Cup race at Lowe's Motor Speedway.(10-9-2007)
Camping World again on the #7: Camping World makes its fourth appearance on Robby Gordon's #7 Ford Fusion this weekend, last seen at Kansas Speedway last weekend. Jim Beam, Menards, Mapei and Barlovento, LLC will all serve as associates. Chris Tompkins, rear tire changer for the #7, will wear a helmet camera during the race for ABC.(Robby Gordon Motorsports PR)(10-4-2007)
Mac Tools Teams up with Robby Gordon Motorsports IMAGE: Mac Tools is partnering with #7 Robby Gordon Motorsports to sponsor Robby Gordon in the #7 Ford. The car will make its debut during the Nextel Cup Series race on October 21st at the Subway 500 at the Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, VA. "Mac Tools has built a relationship with Robby Gordon Motorsports over the past 3 years," said Mac Tools Director of Marketing, Roger Spee. "We are very pleased to have this opportunity to promote our brand in this way for the first time and with such a great driver!"
"We are very excited to expand our relationship with Mac Tools and are even more excited that their first NASCAR Cup race will be with Robby Gordon Motorsports. Looking to the 2008 season, RGM is proud to have Mac Tools involved," Robby Gordon remarked. For more information about Mac Tools, visit www.mactools.com.(RGM PR)(10-1-2007)
IMAGE: see an image of the scheme on the #7 Team Schemes page.(10-3-2007)
Camping World on the #7 at Kansas: This weekend’s race at Kansas Speedway marks the third cup race for Camping World on the #7 Ford of Robby Gordon, last seen in Bristol under the lights. Camping World Inc., is America's largest direct marketer and specialty retailer of RV and outdoor camping accessories and services. Jim Beam, Menards and Mapei will all serve as associates.(Robby Gordon Motorsports)(9-26-2007)
New crew chief for Robby? UPDATE 3 Sospenzo: hearing crew chief Gene Nead has parted ways with the #7 Robby Gordon Motorsports team, no word on the new crew chief or what Neads plans are.(9-20-2007)
UPDATE: hearing that Nead will head to the #21 Wood Brothers/JTG Racing team, to take over for Michael 'Fatback' McSwain, who will step down at the end of the season. Hearing former Hendrick Motorsports/Ginn Racing crew chief, Peter Sospenzo, going to crew chief for Robby Gordon.(9-21-2007)
UPDATE 2: #7-Robby Gordon is at Dover International Speedway this weekend without a crew chief after parting ways with Gene Nead on Monday. Gordon said that he and Nead parted amicably. When asked what he was looking for in a crew chief, the Cup owner/driver answered simply, "I don't know." This weekend he plans to use either a car chief or team engineer in that role. He is currently looking for a crew chief, though. "Yes, I'm looking," he said. "Gene and myself just have differences in philosophy on how things need to be operated." He added that Peter Sospenzo, who was one of the crew chiefs eliminated by Ginn Racing when two of the companies teams ceased to exist earlier this year, is someone that is high on the list of potential replacements.(SceneDaily.com)(9-21-2007)
UPDATE 3: Robby Gordon Motorsports officially named Peter Sospenzo as the crew chief for the #7 Ford Fusion. Historically with multicar teams such as Penske, Hendrick Motorsports and Ginn Racing, Sospenzo brings renewed optimism to Nextel Cup's only single car owner/driver combination. "This is the most unique opportunity in the garage," Said Sospenzo. "First we have one of the most talented drivers in any form of motorsports behind the wheel in Robby Gordon. He drives the wheels off everything he gets into and drivers in the garage respect him. They don't run all over him because they know what a fierce competitor he is. Robby has also done a remarkable job with this team. You can chart the progress over the past three years and can clearly tell which direction RGM is headed. The race cars are very well built and with the expanded facility and strong backing from sponsors we're looking forward to getting this team into the top twenty by the end of the year - and then coming out strong in '08 at Daytona." When Sospenzo became available after the Dale Earnhardt Incorporated merger with Ginn Racing, the choice for Gordon became clear. "This is an extremely tough business and Peter Sospenzo brings a strong racing background to RGM. He is the first crew chief hired by our organization that has taken a car to victory lane in the Nextel Cup Series. He has won races with other drivers in Nextel Cup and we look forward to having a guy with his experience on our team."(Robby Gordon Motorsports PR)(9-26-2007)
Ambrose not to race Cup at Dover..to take a raincheck: Marcos Ambrose has chosen family over money, turning down the chance to compete in this weekend's Nextel Cup race in Delaware [Dover]. The former V8 Supercar champion was entered to drive a #77 Robby Gordon Motorsport Ford at the race at Dover International Speedway. The deal was meant as a payback after Ambrose and Gordon clashed in the Montreal Busch Series race. However Ambrose has rescheduled his deal with Gordon as his wife Sonja is expecting the couple's second child this weekend. "We'll try and hook up down the road," Ambrose said yesterday. Ambrose will have a private plane on stand-by to make sure he can rush home to North Carolina as soon as his racing commitments finish. Despite his delay getting to Nextel Cup, Ambrose has the support of Ford and is expected to move to the series at least part-time next year while still driving in the Busch Series. Any deal to move up to the Nextel Cup would come with his current team, Wood Brothers/JTG Racing.(Herald-Sun)(9-18-2007)
Ambrose may run for Robby at Dover: Marcos Ambrose gets a do-over. One of the feel-good stories of this year happened when Robby Gordon provided a Nextel Cup car for Australia's Ambrose at Watkins Glen, a week after an on-track confrontation cost both of them a victory in the Busch race in Montreal. The only problem was, qualifying was rained out and Ambrose never got an opportunity. Gordon says he's going to enter Ambrose in one of his Ford Fusions for Dover.(Sports Illustrated)(9-4-2007)
Robby Gordon Fined, Placed on Probation: NASCAR announced today that Robby Gordon, driver and owner of the #55 Ford in the Busch Series, has been fined $35,000 and placed on probation until Dec. 31, 2007 due to a rule violation during last Saturday’s race at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal. Gordon was found to be in violation of Section 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing) of the 2007 NASCAR Busch Series Rule Book. The fine and probation also carried the stipulation that if, during the remaining NASCAR events in 2007, there is another action by Gordon that is deemed by NASCAR officials as detrimental to stock car racing or to NASCAR, or is disruptive to the orderly conduct of an event, he will be suspended indefinitely from NASCAR.(NASCAR PR)(8-7-2007)
Ambrose will not run at Watkins Glen for Wood Bros UPDATE will run for Gordon: Wood Brothers/JTG Racing has decided that the team will again focus their attention on the team’s full-time #21 Cup entry [with Bill Elliott], putting on hold plans to run a second Cup [#47] entry for [Busch Series driver Marcos] Ambrose on the Watkins Glen road course. At the beginning of the season, Wood Brothers/JTG Racing announced its plans to enter Marcos Ambrose in both of the Nextel Cup road course races in 2007. Several circumstances have delayed Ambrose’s Cup debut and he will not be competing in Nextel Cup at Watkins Glen with Wood Brothers/JTG Racing this weekend, according to team co-owner, Tad Geschickter. “We want to be totally prepared when we embark on Marcos’ Cup career,” said Geschickter. “We have no doubts that he will succeed at the top level of our sport. The combination of our #21 Cup car fighting to regain a guaranteed starting position in points and the unforeseen complexities of the new ‘Car of Tomorrow’ introduction has forced us to rethink our earlier plans. Combine these factors with Marcos having a real opportunity to finish well inside the coveted top 10 in Busch Series points and we felt that stretching our resources to rush his Cup debut was the wrong thing to do at this time.”(Wood Brothers/JTG Racing/BAM Media PR), but hearing Ambrose will drive a 2nd Ford for Robby Gordon in the Cup race at Watkins Glen.(8-7-2007)
UPDATE: But ESPN has learned that Ambrose may yet get the chance to make his Cup debut -- thanks to Robby Gordon. The owner/driver of Robby Gordon Motorsports has offered Ambrose the chance to qualify for the Centurion Boats at the Glen in a second RGM [#77] Ford. It's not certain whether Ambrose will be cleared to accept the offer, but the offer has been made. An announcement could come as soon as Tuesday evening.(ESPN.com)(8-7-2007)
UPDATE 2: Robby Gordon Motorsports will field Australian Marcos Ambrose in the Busch Series rookie's Nextel Cup Series debut at Watkins Glen this weekend. After one of the most controversial incidents in NASCAR's recent history last weekend, Ambrose has accepted a "peace offering" from Gordon to drive the #77 Camping World Ford Fusion, which will also carry some signage from Ambrose's regular sponsor Kingsford Charcoal. Ambrose led 37 laps, more than any other driver in the NAPA Auto Parts 200 in Montreal last weekend and was on course to record his first NASCAR Busch Series win when he was turned around by Gordon while leading at the second corner at a restart with two laps remaining. As a penalty, Gordon was eliminated from the following day's Nextel Cup race, and while he strongly disagreed with the calls during the Busch race, he has accepted NASCAR's decision and wants to put the incident behind him. Ambrose will continue his NASCAR Busch campaign on Saturday in the #59 Kingsford Charcoal Ford Fusion for Wood Brothers/JTG Racing, but will now do "double duty" in the Robby Gordon Motorsports entry. Gordon will drive the #55 Verizon Wireless Ford Fusion in the Busch race and the #7 Jim Beam Ford Fusion in the Nextel Cup Series race. The Sunday event will be a joint effort between Robby Gordon Motorsports and Wood Brothers/JTG Racing, with Ambrose's regular Kingsford crew
doing the pit work and his new Crew Chief Ernie Cope calling the shots from the box on Sunday. Ambrose was originally scheduled to make his Nextel Cup debut in a Wood
Brothers/JTG Racing entry this weekend, but several circumstances meant the team had to put their plans on hold. Ambrose currently sits eighth in the Busch Series points and second in the Raybestos Rookie of the Year standings.(RGM/Wasserman Media Group PR)(8-7-2007)
Robby Gordon Suspended from Pocono Race UPDATE 6: Hearing that NASCAR will suspend #7-Robby Gordon from Sunday's Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono for his actions in Saturday's Busch race at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. For more info on his actions in the race, see my Busch Series page. P.J. Jones practiced the #7 Saturday at Pocono and would be the likely substitute driver.(8-4-2007)
UPDATE: NASCAR is still evaluating whether Robby Gordon will be allowed to compete in the Pennsylvania 500 on Sunday at Pocono Raceway after not following NASCAR orders as well as getting into the back of race leader Marcos Ambrose on a green-white-checkered restart Saturday in the NAPA Auto Parts 200 in Montreal. "It's fair to say we're still evaluating [his status for] tomorrow's race," NASCAR Vice President of Racing Operations Steve O'Donnell said Saturday night. "We're still talking about what's going to take place in Pocono. At this point, it's too early to tell."(SceneDaily.com)(8-4-2007)
UPDATE 2: NASCAR issued a statement Saturday evening about the incident during the Busch race from Ramsey Poston, NASCAR Managing Director of Corporate Communications: "Once the caution came out on Lap 72 the field was frozen. Once the field is frozen, all cars must maintain cautious pace in order to be scored. At the time that the field was frozen, the #59 was in the lead. The #55 did not maintain cautious pace and by NASCAR rule, cars not maintaining cautious pace are scored only when they blend back into the continuous line. The 55 based on our scoring was ordered to blend back in behind the #33 in front of the #7. The tower ordered the #55 multiple times to get in to position. The directive was acknowledged by the crew chief of the #55 and the crew chief also communicated the order to the driver of the #55. The driver ignored NASCAR’s directive. He was warned that he would be black flagged if he did not comply. Once the #55 crossed the start-finish line he was posted per the NASCAR rule book and at that time the directive to display the black flag was given. After contact with the 5#9 on Lap 73, NASCAR took emergency action per the rule book Section12-2 thus parking the #55, which was also ignored. The black flag with the white cross was displayed to the #55 when it crossed the start-finish line on lap 74. The #55 finished the race in the 18th position.”(NASCAR PR)(8-4-2007)
UPDATE 3: Robby Gordon's antics at Saturday's Busch race in Montreal will have him parked for Sunday's Nextel Cup race at Pocono, Pa. Gene Nead, Gordon's crew chief, has confirmed that Gordon will not be allowed to race in Sunday's Pennsylvania 500. P.J. Jones, who practiced in the car Saturday while Gordon was in Montreal, will run the #7 Ford in the race.(ESPN.com)(8-5-2007)
UPDATE 4: NASCAR has parked Robby Gordon and he will not be allowed to compete in Sunday's race. Furthermore, Gordon is not being allowed into the garage at Pocono. Additional penalties and/or fines are expected to be announced on Tuesday.(8-5-2007)
UPDATE 5: As a result of his actions on the race track at Saturday’s Busch Series race at Montreal, NASCAR has parked driver Robby Gordon for today’s Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono Raceway. Referencing Section 12-2 of the 2007 NASCAR rule book … “if the act or omission of a member is determined by a NASCAR official to constitute a threat to the orderly conduct of the event, NASCAR may take emergency action against that member …” That action includes parking a driver for an event. Parking is final, non-appealable and non-reviewable. Towards the end of Saturday’s race at Montreal, Robby Gordon demonstrated blatant disrespect and disregard for NASCAR directives – on multiple occasions. His actions were certainly disruptive to the orderly conduct of the event. NASCAR will continue to review this situation and address any further actions at the beginning of this week. P.J. Jones will be driving the #7 car today – he practiced in it here on Saturday. Since he did not qualify the car, he will start the race at the end of the line.(NASCAR PR)(8-5-2007)
UPDATE 6: Robby Gordon issued the following statement: "I want to start by expressing my regrets to the sponsors, fans, and all competitors for any part I played in the miscommunication, confusion and uncertainty surrounding the finish in this weekend's Busch race in Montreal. Immediately following the last caution when I was spun out by the 59 car, at first I was told that I was scored in first place and I should be in that position. Later, I was told that I was in second place and I assumed that position, which was fine. Moments before the green flag dropped, I was told that I was scored in 13th position. Obviously I objected, and I stated that I would complete the race under protest. I believed that my protest would be a foregone conclusion if I moved to position 13. I was confident that most people who watched the race or see the replay would agree that I should have been scored in first or second. I also wanted to make sure that the race played out the way it should if the officials ultimately agreed with me after seeing the tape and granted my protest. Therefore, I decided to preserve the status quo by holding the second position and racing from that position to the end of the race. My belief was that it would be no harm no foul if my protest was denied because I would then be disqualified in the race regardless. On the other hand, if I moved to position 13 and my protest was granted, then the race results would be affected. In order to preserve the integrity of my protest, I decided to stay in second position. It was not my purpose to disrespect the authority of NASCAR or the officials. I do respect their authority to run the race and make the calls, and I understand the significance of the black flag. I strongly disagree with the calls that affected me at the end of the race. Being spun under the yellow and not being allowed to resume my position prior to the spin put me in a position to react as I did. Nonetheless, I accept NASCAR's decision and I intend to move forward under the rules."(Robby Gordon PR)(8-5-2007)
New Co-Sponsor for Robby Gordon: This weekend’s Allstate 400 at the Brickyard will mark the first appearance in 2007 for Johns Manville as the co-primary sponsor of the #7 Menards Ford of Robby Gordon. Johns Manville, a Berkshire Hathaway company, is a leading manufacturer and marketer of premium-quality building and specialty products. In business since 1858, the Denver-based company has annual sales of approximately $2.5 billion and holds leadership positions in all of the key markets that it serves. Johns Manville employs approximately 8,500 people and operates 43 manufacturing facilities in North America, Europe and China. Jim Beam, Mapei, and Motorola will serve as associates.(RGM)(7-27-2007)
Robby Gordon's Team Penalized: UPDATE: NASCAR has issued penalties and fines to the #7 team in the Nextel Cup Series, as a result of rule infractions found last week at Daytona. The #7 Ford, driven by Robby Gordon, was found to be in violation of Sections 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing); 12-4-Q (car, car parts, components and/or equipment used do not conform to NASCAR rules); and 20-6.7C (8) (unapproved camera shell) of the 2007 NASCAR rule book. The violations were found during opening day inspection on July 5. Gordon has been penalized 25 championship driver and 25 championship owner points. Crew chief Gene Nead has been fined $25,000 and placed on NASCAR probation until Dec. 31.(NASCAR PR)(7-13-2007)
UPDATE: Gordon said Friday afternoon that he will not appeal. "Not different than every race team in this garage does," Gordon said. "You push it a little far, and sometimes you get caught.(SceneDaily.com)(7-14-2007)
Camping World to sponsor Robby Gordon in 3 races: Robby Gordon Motorsports announced a new partnership with Camping World for the 2007 season. Camping World will sponsor Gordon in three Nextel Cup events and the Busch Series race in Canada, later this summer. “I am happy to have Camping World on board as a sponsor,” said Robby Gordon. “Camping World brings a new chapter to RGM. They have been a sponsor in all three NASCAR Series and know what it takes to be successful at this level. It’s always great to welcome a new sponsor and we are really happy about having them.” Gordon said. Gordon’s #7 Ford Fusion will debut the Camping World paint scheme this weekend at the Pepsi 400, again at the famed night race at Bristol and at the first Car Of Tomorrow race at a superspeedway, Talladega in October. Gordon’s #55 Busch Series Fusion will make its Camping World debut at the road course at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on August 4, 2007.(RGM Site) See an image of the scheme on my #7 Team Scheme page.(7-5-2007)
Robby looking to add 2nd team: #7-Robby Gordon said Friday that he’s moving closer to adding a second team for 2008. “When we have runs like this, it entices people to come and look at our organization,” said Gordon after qualifying second for the Save Mart 350. “We’re a single-car effort, but we can compete with these guys. We proved that, when for the last three weeks, we’ve been a top-15 car every week. And if we can run in the top 15, the door’s going to open up and we’ll find ourselves in victory lane.” Gordon also said he expects to move into his new headquarters for Robby Gordon Motorsports in late September.(Ford Racing)(6-24-2007)
Menards sponsorship to Penske in 2008? John Menard is reported to be considering moving his sponsorship from Dale Earnhardt Inc. [#15 Paul Menard] to Roger Penske’s Dodge team, with Penske expanding to a three-car operation. Menard, according to sources, has chopped his list to two owners, and it appears that #7-Robby Gordon is no longer in the running. Menard, who is supporting son Paul on the Cup tour at DEI, has been reported interested in purchasing DEI from Teresa Earnhardt [which has been rumored many times but always denied](Winston Salem Journal)(6-23-2007)
Monster energy drink to sponsor Robby at Sonoma: #7-Robby Gordon is scheduled to run a Monster Energy scheme at Infineon Raceway this weekend. See an image of the scheme on my #7 Team Schemes page.(6-20-2007)
Robby Gordon finishes 2nd at Baja: With the final outcome never fully decided in the elapsed-time race until the checkered flag, NASCAR's Robby Gordon, finished second overall and second in the SCORE International trophy truck class in this year's Baja 500. Gordon's Monster Energy / Toyo Tires #71 Chevy CK1500 finished just 3 minutes, 57 seconds behind Ragland/Collins, this year's overall winners. After qualifying his #7 Menards/Mapei Ford Fusion 33rd for Sunday's Nextel Cup race in Dover, Robby Gordon traveled to
Ensenada, Mexico late Friday afternoon. Shortly after arriving in Mexico, Gordon helped the team with final preparations to the Monster Energy / Toyo Tires trophy truck Saturday evening. Following final preparations, Gordon called a team meeting to review the race logistics and emphasize the importance of quick pit stops. Shortly after 10 a.m. on Saturday morning Robby Gordon and navigator, Gregg Till took the green flag starting 22nd based on a random draw for starting position. As it turns out , starting position would ultimately dictate the outcome of the race. Employing a clever pit strategy, Gordon passed a handful of competitors while they were in the pits. However, there was a group ahead of Gordon enjoying a relatively dust - free ride. Gordon continued to push the pace and passed most of the remaining
trucks ahead of him; however, it wasn't enough to bring Gordon his fourth Baja 500 victory. Gordon's Monster Energy / Toyo Tires trophy truck crossed the finished line as the third overall vehicle ; however, the corrected time was good enough for a second place overall finish.(Robby Gordon PR)(6-5-2007)
Menard to leave DEI? UPDATE 2 denied: John Menard, the wealthy businessman who is helping bankroll Teresa Earnhardt’s DEI operation for racer-son Paul [Menard, #15], may be ready to pull out, too. Menard could wind up back working with struggling #7-Robby Gordon — the two have long been business partners, and Gordon is trying to get his team righted again.(Winston Salem Journal)(6-1-2007)
UPDATE: Robby Gordon has issued the following statement regarding Paul Menard: "It is the ultimate goal for RGM is to one day field two cars in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series. Despite speculation, there have been no discussions pertaining to Paul Menard joining RGM. John Menard has been a long time supporter of my racing program and is on board for ten events in the 2007 season - nine co-sponsored by Mapei and one co-sponsored by Johns Mansville."(RGM)(6-2-2007)
UPDATE 2: #15-Paul Menard denied a published report indicating he’s considering leaving Dale Earnhardt Inc., possibly to join Robby Gordon’s team. “That’s not going to happen,” said Menard, whose best finish this season is 15th at Texas. But Menard did say these are anxious times at DEI since Earnhardt announced last month he will leave the team at the end of the season. “We’ll be OK as long as we get good people in key positions,” Menard said. “That’s what every race team wants and needs, and it’s probably what we don’t have at DEI right now. In the long term we’ll have to build that up and if we have to move some people around to make the appropriate changes, then that’s what needs to be done.”(Thatsracin)(6-3-2007)
Robby to race in Baja Sat., Jones to practice the #7 at Dover: #7-Robby Gordon, widely regarded as one of the best off-road racers of all time, is a threat to win Saturday's Baja 500 title in the Monster Energy / Toyo Tires Chevrolet CK1500. With over 750 horsepower and almost 40 inches of wheel travel, Gordon will be tearing through the Baja Peninsula at speeds more than 125 mph, while P.J. Jones practices his #7 Ford at the Monster Mile of Dover. Menards and MAPEI team up for the fourth time this season as the primary sponsor of the #7 Ford. Jim Beam and Motorola will serve as associates.(RGM PR)(6-1-2007)
New crew chief for Robby? UPDATE 2 yes: hearing #7-Robby Gordon, driver/owner of the #7 Jim Beam Ford, has a new crew chief, Gene Nead. Heard crew chief Greg Erwin left the team recenty.(5-16-2007)
UPDATE: been told that Erwin is still with the team, no word in what capacity. Also, during Busch Series testing at Lowe's Motor Speedway Monday and Tuesday, Gordon shared testing duties with Ryan Hunter-Reay.(5-17-2007)
UPDATE 2: #7-Robby Gordon hired a new crew chief, Gene Nead (lately with Bill Davis) to take the place of veteran Greg Erwin, after three straight weeks of troubles. “We have spiraled to 31st in points, and Greg told me he needed some help, and he would take an engineering role again if we could find a crew chief, so that’s what we did,” Gordon said. Erwin said he’s assessing his situation. Ford’s Jack Roush and Dodge’s Roger Penske have been reported to have expressed an interest in hiring Erwin, but Gordon wants him to stay.(Winston Salem Journal)(5-19-200)
Robby to run a few more CORR races: #7-Robby Gordon will return this weekend as the driver of the #71 Monster Energy Drink Toyo Tires Pro Comp Baldwin prepared Pro 2 in the Championship Off Road Racing [CORR] race at the LA Fairplex this Sunday [May 20th]. Gordon is racing in round four of the Pro 2 CORR Lucas Oil series, as well as the NBC broadcast Jason Baldwin Memorial Cup Series Qualifier. On April 22, 2007, in his first CORR race ever, Baja 1000 winner Gordon took the lead at the Antelope Valley Fairgrounds. Gordon’s enthusiasm for CORR has led him to commit to several more CORR races in 2007, including Sept. 29th and 30th in Chula Vista; Oct. 19th and 20th in Texas; Nov. 3rd in Nevada. “I like what CORR is doing for off road racing, Jim Baldwin has shown a definite vision for the series and I am excited to come back and run up front and win in the Pro 2 class,” said Robby Gordon.(Robbygordon.com)(5-17-2007)
Jim Beam partners with NADCP: Beam Global Spirits & Wine, a global leader in premium spirits and wine, announced a ground-breaking partnership with the National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP) to help eliminate hard core and repeat drunk driving. A founding partner of the National Center for DWI Courts, Beam Global donated $50,000 to underscore its commitment to eliminating drunk driving. Members of Congress, traffic safety experts, DWI Court judges and prosecutors and law enforcement officials assembled today to support the launch of the National Center for DWI Courts. Professional race car drivers and long time supporters of the fight against drunk driving -Michael Andretti and Robby Gordon - participated to bring awareness to the life-saving efforts of DWI Courts. Michael Andretti and Robby Gordon are long-standing supporters of Beam Global's efforts to fight drunk driving. They have appeared together in public service announcements that urge the public to consume adult beverages responsibly.(Ketchum Sports PR)(5-4-2007)
Gordon's shop not ready...Cal Wells helps out UPDATE 2: #7-Robby Gordon said Friday that his new shop in Charlotte, N.C., will not be ready in May as he had hoped. “The weather this winter has just killed us,” said Gordon. “We’re moving dirt and getting up to speed on that, it’s just taking longer than I wanted, to be honest with you, to get the stuff in place.” The Nextel Cup owner/driver did not have a firm completion date, but said the pouring of the foundation for the new home of Robby Gordon Motorsports should be “in the next couple of weeks.” Gordon also has enlisted the help of former NASCAR Nextel Cup team owner Cal Wells III. “Cal’s been coming to work with us on race weekends and observing,” said Gordon Friday at Bristol Motor Speedway. “He’s just trying to help me in any way he can with the experience that he has.” As for the new Fusion Car of Tomorrow, Gordon is enthusiastic. “I’m fine with the new car,” said Gordon, who once again is without a sponsor this weekend. “I think it’s the great equalizer. We just haven’t got our piece figured out yet.”(Ford Racing)(3-25-2007)
UPDATE: Former car owner Cal Wells said he's in talks with sponsors and an ownership group to be part of a two-car effort next season. Wells said he hopes to have a deal done later this spring. He would be a minority owner in the team but run it.(Roanoke Times)(3-26-2007)
UPDATE 2: from Cal Wells III: "I have known the entire Gordon family for decades. Robby's father drove for me in my early years of off-road racing and Robby has driven for me in off-road and in Indy car. We've had our good times and our challenges, been mad at each other, supported each other, but most of all, we've remained family friends. He and his sisters along with his mom and dad and step-mom, all good friends. As Robby's racing organization continues to develop, it is going through what all small businesses go through, a challenging evolution, Rob reached out for some advice but nothing more. I don't work there, haven't taken a job there, just helping him out a little bit on a couple of deals he is working on, which if successful will really establish his organization as a force in the garage area. Our relationship works best when I offer supportive suggestions but not for compensation or an obligation from him to follow any of them. As for myself, I am actually working on a couple of opportunities which will hopefully keep me in the sport I so dearly love. Time and hard work will tell."(3-27-2007)
Robby Gordon can keep Motorola decals: Robby Gordon's #7 Ford can run Motorola decals on his car in today's race [at Atlanta Motor Speedway]. NASCAR vice president Jim Hunter said late Saturday that an agreement had been reached that will allow Gordon to advertise Motorola's digital audio player on his car. That solves the problem created by the original basic Motorola insignia, which was seen as a way of promoting wireless phone service. Nextel, the title sponsor of the Cup series, owns exclusive rights to promote wireless phone products. Only those wireless companies already in the sport when Nextel took over in 2004 can advertise competing products.(source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
MORE: on SPEED's RaceDay...Gordon's car was shown, the hood now has the big Motorola logo on the hood and the name on the quarter panels, under each it reads "Digital Audio Players".(3-18-2007)
IMAGE: and see an image of the car with the decals it ran on Sunday on the #7 Team Scheme Page.(3-20-2007)
Robby has a sponsor for Atlanta UPDATE forced to pull logos: Add another cellphone company to the NASCAR mix. Verizon Wireless officials plan to announce today they will work with Motorola to sponsor Robby Gordon in the [#55] Busch Series. The first-time Busch sponsorship for both companies will begin with Saturday's Busch race at AMS. Motorola will also sponsor Gordon's Cup #7 Ford in the Kobalt Tools 500 on Sunday. The sponsorship also includes Busch races at Charlotte, Chicago and Texas.(Atlanta Journal-Constitution), see images of the scheme on the #7 Team Schemes page and 2007 Busch Series Schemes page.
UPDATE: Robby Gordon is removing a Motorola logo from the hood of his #7 Ford at the request of NASCAR officials, but he says he doesn't understand how Motorola and Cup series sponsor Nextel are competitors. He also can't understand why the company can be an associate sponsor on the car, as it has been the three previous Nextel Cup races, but cannot move into a primary slot. "I'm having a hard time understanding how Nextel and Motorola are competitors because that's the reason we can't use the sponsorship," Gordon said. "They have been an associate sponsor on my car for the first three events, and they can remain as an associate sponsor on my car; they just can't be a primary sponsor on my car." Gordon said NASCAR officials told him that was the reasoning for the changes. NASCAR President Mike Helton said that Motorola is specifically listed among the companies barred from being a primary sponsor in the Nextel agreement, which gives Nextel (now Sprint) exclusivity among wireless providers as well as wireless handset manufacturers.
"It's a NASCAR decision, yes," Gordon said. "This is the first time I have ever been involved in something like this. I've never been told no [on] a sponsor because we never felt we've gone after a sponsor that wouldn't be approved. I didn't even imagine that Motorola wouldn't be approved. They're the official radio of everybody in the garage area. It's just mind-boggling, and I'm having a little bit of a hard time on it."
Gordon said he planned to use the sponsorship for two events. "We have a relationship with a competitor's cell phone company [Verizon] in the Busch Series, and we felt that with them in the Busch Series and Motorola strictly in the Cup series, there wouldn't be a conflict," he said. Motorola has a relationship with NASCAR as it is the primary vendor of Racing Radios, which provides two-way radio service for NASCAR at the track. Gordon said he was unaware of exactly how Motorola could be considered a competitor. "That's where a person like myself has a hard time because you go to the front page of Nextel.com and you find Motorola logos on there and Motorola phones on there, and it's just a bit confusing why we're having an issue with the race car being on the race track," Gordon said. Helton added that NASCAR - not Nextel - made the decision on the car, a decision that he said seemed fairly black-and-white. "NASCAR is the group that polices the sport, so it's NASCAR's role to approve paint designs, approve sponsors on cars, approve how sponsors utilize the paint designs on the cars to promote and activate their relationships," Helton said. Helton said that most of the times, these issues are handled before the car gets to the track. "There is a process in place where the paint scheme has to be approved ... there wasn't time to fix the car before it got here, but we have plenty of time here to correct things," he said.(SceneDaily.com)(3-16-2007)
No sponsor for Robby at Vegas? UPDATE: as most noticed, #7-Robby Gordon has no sponsor decals on his #7 Ford, which is painted all black. The original NASCAR entry list had Harrah's as the sponsor, then was changed to TBA [to be announced]. There in nothing on the robbygordon.com site and email's sent to the team PR folks have gone unanswered for weeks. Gordon did have an appearance at Harrah's in Las Vegas this past week. Have gotten and posted the #7 Motorola scheme, but no word on when that will run.(3-10-2007)
UPDATE: For #7-Robby Gordon life as an independent owner-driver on the NASCAR circuit is getting tougher. First, long-time sponsor Harrah's has dropped its financing; the world's largest gaming company is in the process of going private in a $17 billion sale. Second, planned new sponsor Monster, the Red Bull energy drink rival, has yet to sign on as one of Gordon's backers, a deal that was expected here.(Winston Salem Journal)(3-12-2007)
Jim Beam renews with Robby Gordon for 12 races in 2007: Jim Beam The Official Spirit of Racing, announced that it will continue its partnership with Robby Gordon Motorsports (RGM) as a primary sponsor of the #7 Ford driven by team owner and veteran driver Robby Gordon during the 2007 Nextel Cup season. "We're excited to continue our relationship with Robby Gordon as a
primary sponsor in 2007 and look forward to supporting his endeavors to capture his first win as an independent driver and owner in the
NASCAR(r) Nextel Cup Series," said Brian Gallagher, manager of Jim Beam Racing. Jim Beam will sponsor 12 races in 2007 which marks the third year of the partnership with RGM. Gordon and Ford Motor Company recently announced the signing of a manufacturer agreement aligning Ford Racing Technology and the #7 car. This will be the first season that Gordon will drive a Ford since the 2000 Cup season. "RGM continues to put a competitive car on the track because of the experience and capabilities of everyone involved," said Gordon. "We are excited to build on our partnership with Jim Beam and look forward to a strong racing program both on and off the track with the #7 Jim Beam Ford Fusion." Jim Beam will utilize its sponsorship of Gordon and the #7 Ford to support the Beam Global Spirits & Wine drink smart initiative. Jim Beam and Beam Global Spirits & Wine will execute programs, with help from Robby Gordon, throughout the 2007 racing season that focus on preventing underage drinking and drunk driving. Details for the 2007 Jim Beam Racing drink smart program will be announced at a later date.(Ketchum Public Relations PR)(2-5-2007)
Robby's Dakar Update - Stage 15 race over:: French driver Stephane Peterhansel won the 2007 Dakar Rally on Sunday, claiming his third trophy in one of the world's most punishing and dangerous races. Peterhansel, who also has six motorcycle victories in the tough transcontinental competition, secured the win after finishing a final Atlantic Ocean beach stretch of the 5,411-mile race from Europe to Africa. Overall results on the race's official Web site put the Mitsubishi driver's final time at 45 hours, 53 minutes, 37 seconds. Defending champion Luc Alphand was second - 7 minutes, 26 seconds behind. Nextel Cup driver Robby Gordon finished third in the final stage, 26 minutes behind stage winner Giniel de Villiers of South Africa, who won his fourth stage of the race. Gordon finished 8th overall, 7 hours, 4 minutes and 7 seconds behind leader Peterhansel. Fox Editor's note: On Saturday, FOXSports.com reported that Robby Gordon slipped to 10th in the overall standings. He actually finished fifth in Stage 14 and remained eighth overall.(FoxSports)
The Dakar Rally can be seen on the Versus Network in the United States. See full reports and video at robbygordon.com, also at dakar.com, raid-live.com and doindonuts.com.(1-21-2007)
Robby's Dakar Update - Stage 14: Carlos Sainz of Spain won the penultimate stage of the Dakar Rally on Saturday. Sainz plowed through the 140-mile route from Tambacounda to Senegal's capital, Dakar, in 2 hours, 21 minutes, 2 seconds for his fifth stage win. South Africa's Giniel de Villiers was 7 seconds behind. France's Stephane Peterhansel came in 11th for the day and solidified his overall lead after 14 stages with a total time of 45 hours, 42 minutes, 45 seconds. Another Frenchman, Luc Alphand, is 7:16 behind.
American Robby Gordon finished eighth in the 14th stage, 1 hour, 14 minutes and 44 seconds behind Sainz. Overall, Gordon fell two spots to 10th, 6 hours, 23 minutes, 17 seconds behind Peterhansel. The race concludes Sunday at Lac Rose, a lake outside Dakar.(FoxSports)
Another Motorcyclist dies: A French motorcyclist died during the next-to-last stage of the Dakar Rally on Saturday, the second death of this year's grueling event across Europe and Africa. Eric Aubijoux, a 42-year-old Yamaha rider, had a heart attack,
rally director Etienne Lavigne said. Aubijoux had completed the stage and was finishing an untimed section near Dakar. He stopped
his bike "feeling faint" before collapsing, organizers said in a statement. South African motorcyclist Elmer Symons, 29, died Jan. 9 in a
crash during the fourth stage in Morocco. The race has long been known for its danger to competitors and spectators. Dozens of
participants have died in the rally's 29-year history.(ESPN.com)
(1-21-2007)
Robby's Dakar Update - Stage 13: Carlos Sainz won the 13th stage of the Dakar Rally on Friday as the race entered its final stretches in the West African nation of Senegal. Sainz finished the 160-mile route from Kayes, Mali, to Tambacounda in 2 hours, 30 minutes, 22 seconds .That's 26 seconds ahead of Mitsubishi driver Stephane Peterhansel. Peterhansel of France still leads the race overall in a total of 43:13:22. Another Frenchman, Luc Alphand, is 11:15 behind in second place. American Robby Gordon finished 11th in the 13th stage, 10 minutes and 47 seconds behind Sainz. He's in eighth place overall, trailing Peterhansel by 7 hours, 13 minutes and 18 seconds. The race wraps up Sunday at Lac Rose, a lake outside the Senegalese capital of Dakar.(FoxSports)(1-20-2007)
Robby's Dakar Update - Stage 12: Carlos Sainz of Spain won the 12th stage of the Dakar Rally on Thursday with the race crossing the southern Mauritanian desert and entering Mali for the first time. Sainz finished the 160-mile trek in 2 hours, 58 minutes, 56 seconds in his Volkswagen. Carlos Sousa of Portugal, also in a Volkswagen, was second, 3:53 behind. Defending champion Luc Alphand of France was third in his Mitsubishi. Mitsubishi driver Stephane Peterhansel of France still leads the overall race, 6:29 ahead of Alphand. American Robby Gordon finished 13th in Thursday's stage, 18 minutes and 22 seconds behind Sainz. Gordon remains in eighth place overall, 7 hours, 2 minutes and 57 seconds behind leader Peterhansel. The 15-stage race began in Lisbon, Portugal, and ends in Dakar, Senegal on Sunday.(FoxSports)(1-19-2007)
Robby's Dakar Update - Stage 11: The 11th stage was an untimed session in Mauritania as competitors rested for half a day in Nema before heading to Ayoun-el-Atrous, a small town 174 miles away. In December, officials decided to cancel the planned stage between Timbuktu and Nema, due to safety concerns. Thursday's 12th stage is a 300-mile trip between Ayoun and Kayes. Stephane Peterhansel of France is the overall leader, 9:56 ahead of defending champion Luc Alphand. American Robby Gordon remained 23rd and remained in eighth place overall, 6 hours, 52 minutes and 54 seconds behind Peterhansel. The 15-stage race began in Lisbon, Portugal, and ends in Dakar, Senegal on Sunday.(FoxSports)(1-18-2007)
Robby's Dakar Update - Stage 10: BMW driver Nasser Saleh Al Attiyah won the 10th stage of the Dakar rally on Tuesday. The Qatari driver completed the 227-mile route beginning and ending in the desert oasis of Nema in 3 hours, 49 minutes, 48 seconds. Hiroshi Masuoka of Japan, driving a Mitsubishi, was second, 28 seconds behind Al Attiyah. In third was Mark Miller of the United States in a Volkswagen, who finished the trek across the Mauritanian desert in 3:51:37. Stephane Peterhansel of France is the overall leader, 9:56 ahead of defending champion Luc Alphand. American Robby Gordon finished 23rd and remained in eighth place overall, 6 hours, 52 minutes and 54 seconds behind Peterhansel. The 15-stage race began in Lisbon, Portugal, and ends in Dakar, Senegal on Sunday.(FoxSports)(1-17-2007)
Robby's Dakar Update - Stage 9: Jean-Louis Schlesser of France won the ninth stage of the Dakar Rally on Monday, while Stephane Peterhansel took the overall lead. Schlesser, driving a Schles-Ford-Raid, finished the 307-mile trek from Tichit to Nema in 5 hours, 32 minutes, 3 seconds. He was 13 seconds ahead of defending champion Luc Alphand and 4:14 ahead of Peterhansel, who both drove a Mitsubishi. Giniel de Villiers of South Africa, who won the eighth stage and was the overall leader, had an engine fire a quarter of the way through and was towed to the finish. American Robby Gordon finished 11th and move up to 8th place overall, 6 hours, 20 minutes and 59 seconds behind leader Peterhansel. The 15-stage race ends Sunday in Dakar, Senegal.(FoxSports)(1-16-2007)
Robby's Dakar Update - Stage 8: With its 589 km special, stage eight proved to be the longest special yet in the 2007 Dakar Rally. It was the first special where the competitors faced the serious sand dunes of Mauritania and a day where Robby Gordon and his Monster Hummer felt at home. Gordon, a frequent visitor to the Glamis sand dunes in Southern California had high expectations for the day. Gordon and navigator Andy Grider began the special in the 13th slot and at days end they managed to move up five positions for an eight place finish for the special. The Hummers time of 8:46:36 put the team 1:14:44 adrift of stage winner Gniel De Villiers of South Africa. The result vaulted the team up into the top ten in the overall classification. The first American team and car
manufacture to win a stage in the Dakar Rally now finds themselves back 06:23:17 from the overall lead.
Robby Gordon's Quotes following Stage eight: "We have moved ourselves into the top ten which is a testament to how hard the team is working. The Monster Energy guys did a fantastic job of preparing the car for the eighth and ninth stages. Tonight we are without
assistance in Tichit which meant we had to be easy on the Hummer. The team is making its way to Nema were we'll meet up tomorrow. Today's stage was very difficult. The sand was fine and very soft – much different from the coarser sand in Glamis. Everything ran well but had to be slightly conservative because we were stretching the fuel window and we don't have any support tonight – there really was no room for error. Now that we are in the top ten we are going to set ours sights on a top five finish. There is still quite a bit of racing and in this business you never know what is going to happen until the end."(RGM PR)(1-15-2007)
Robby's Dakar Update - Stage 7: With a sandstorm brewing in the region the organizers of the Dakar Rally cut the
seventh stage from 542km down to 407km. The storm provided some additional challenges to an already complex stage. Team Dakar was the first to make tracks after winning the sixth stage the previous day. Some challenging navigation in the dust cost the team some precious time and by the end of the day they finished in the 13th position - 1:22:37 adrift of the eventual stage winner Giniel De Villiers. The result continued the teams ascension in the overall classification to 16th which is now 5:08:33 behind race leader Giniel De Villiers.
Robby Gordon's Quote following the seventh stage of the 2007 Dakar Rally: "We have made it to the rest day in Africa. I've been trying to be really smooth and avoid problems. Today was one of the more difficult stages. We got into some really soft sand so we aired the tires down to 10lbs and we were just bogging down in second gear. There were a lot of guys that got stuck and you are starting to see quite a few cars drop out of the rally. Visibility was a major issue and we lost the track for a while which cost us some time. Overall I'm pretty happy with the effort. The Hummer is running great and the Toyo Tires have been very good. Our strategy for the rest of the race to finish and anything outside of the top ten will be a disappointment, anything better we will consider a success. The Monster guys have done a good job of preparing the car, the Hummer has been fast enough to win a special and without the fuel problems we probably could have won a couple more and probably sitting well within the top five."(RGM PR)(1-13-2007)
Robby Dakar Update - wins Stage 6: Robby Gordon has given Hummer its first-ever Dakar stage victory on the sixth special of the 2007 edition of the event, a 246-mile stretch between Tan Tan in Morocco and Zouerat in Mauritania. The American completed the high-speed section – speeds above 115mph were possible – in under three hours, beating former winner Jean-Louis Schlesser by 17 seconds. It was Gordon’s third career Dakar stage win, the previous two coming in ’05 when he led the overall standings early in the event as part of Volkswagen’s factory team. The German marque held on to the top spot today, with Carlos Sainz finishing fourth on the stage, 7min17s behind Gordon. The Spaniard is now 3min11s ahead of teammate Giniel de Villiers, with Carlos Sousa in another VW another 11 minutes further back. The Mitsubishis of defending champion Luc Alphand and eight-time winner Stephane Peterhansel round out the top-five. Plagued by early problems, Gordon is now 18th overall, more than four hours adrift of Sainz.(Speed Channel)
AND Wind and rain made the night miserable for most of the bivouac on Thursday night but Robby Gordon woke up with a smile on his face. Gordon knew that the conditions would provide perfect racing conditions for the Monster Energy Hummer. In the previous days stage Gordon had charged to a 15th place finish through the dust. Today the dust would be neutralized. During the night the Monster crew worked tirelessly to replace the fuel delivery system along with the clutch, transmission and drive shafts. At the end of the stage, Robby Gordon Motorsports became the first American team to capture a stage in the Dakar Rally. For Gordon it was
his third stage win since he started competing in the Dakar in 2005. The stage was won in 2:58:57, just 17 seconds ahead of the second place buggy of Jean Louis Schlesser. The victory moved Team Dakar USA up to 19th in the overall classification - 3:49:07 back of the Volkswagen driven by Carlos Sainz. Robby Gordon's Quote on the sixth Stage: "That was a good result for the team. It's just what we needed. We lost two days trying to diagnose the fuel problem, which in the end turned out to be bad fuel. There still is so much racing left so who know what can happen. For now the immediate goal is to get up into the top ten."(RGM PR)(1-11/12-2007)
Gordon's Dakar Update - Stage 5: While Carlos Sainz won the fifth stage of the 2007 Dakar, much of the buzz in the bivouac surrounded the impressive performance of American Robby Gordon and his Monster Hummer. Team Dakar USA was relegated to a 77th place start based on their finish in the previous stage. Gordon charged his black Monster Energy Hummer to a 15th place finish in the stage which moved him up to 36th in the overall classification. The finish was the best for the day in the Open Category. Robby Gordon's Quote after Stage Five "The tires that Toyo brought to Dakar have been spectacular and it really showed today in the very rocky track. We passed quite a few cars today by leaving the track and we punished the tires and they survived extremely well. Our finish today will get us a much better start tomorrow so we are looking at getting the Hummer closer to the front so we can contend for stage wins. Much has happened so far but you have to realize that this race is just five days old and there is a lot of racing left. Our team is working hard and since we solved our fuel problem the Hummer is running exceptionally well. We are going to push hard and make something happen!"(RGM PR)(1-11-2007)
Gordon's Dakar Update - Stage 4: Africa begins to show her many traps in today's stage. This was the competitors' first opportunity to see the dunes in the 2007 Dakar Rally. Today's stage was a test of the competitor's patience and endurance. Gordon had high hopes for today's special which was 405km over terrain that was well suited to both the H3 and Robby Gordon's driving style. He felt that this Moroccan stage from Er Richida to Ouarzazate would have given both he and navigator Andy Grider the chance to showcase the team's speed. Contaminated fuel caused the Team Monster Energy/Toyo Tire/Hummer to have less horsepower than the H3 race engine is capable of producing and never allowed the team to really show their strengths. "Our goal was to come here and win," said Gordon as he returned to the bivouac. We have been plagued with bad luck, but we won't let it get us down. This is a long rally and we must put the bad luck behind us and keep moving forward." As the team prepares the H3 for the following day's special to Tan Tan they believe that the fuel issue has been resolved. The rocky terrain of the stage 6 special will be a favorable environment for the Hummer to regain momentum and to improve the overall standing of the team.(RGM PR)
AND Motorcyclist Elmer Symons died Tuesday in a crash at the Dakar Rally, race organizers said. The 29-year-old South African was killed on the fourth stage from Er Rachidia to Ouarzazate in Morocco.(USA Today)(1-10-2007)
Gordon's Dakar Update - Stage 3: Days like these will separate the amateurs from the professionals. The start of the stage began with a 205km liaison from the ferry which brought the race vehicles to Nador for the start of the special. The length of the special was 252 km with an ending liaison of 192 km to reach the destination of Er Rachidia for a total distance of 649 km . Today's special began with a very technical aspect including numerous elevation changes and a winding course which tested the navigation skills of the competitors. The course consisted of rocky trails and several perils, with longer stretches that allowed the competitors to push their vehicles to more aggressive speeds. A course very well suited to Team Gordons race Hummer H3. "The terrain of the special was quite rocky and ideal for the H3." said Gordon "If there was anything I would have changed it would have been the length of the special. A longer course would have given me more time to pass more of the competitors that are just ahead of our team." Gordon said with a smile. "We started the day in some what of a catch up mode," explained Gordon. "Any problems from the previous day will follow you to the start of the proceeding day." A finish of 41st from the day before will mean you start from that same position the next day." Team Gordon's Monster Energy Toyo Tire Hummer made the most of the day and finished the special in 21st place. This will place the H3 in the 21st starting postion for stage four. The Dakar Rally can be seen on the Versus Network in the United States. In addition Team Dakar USA has teamed up with Micron to provide daily video updates that can be seen on RobbyGordon.com.(RGM PR)
AND Motorcyclist Elmer Symons died Tuesday in a crash at the Dakar Rally, race organizers said. The 29-year-old South African was killed on the fourth stage from Er Rachidia to Ouarzazate in Morocco.(USA Today)(1-9-2007)
Gordon's Dakar Update - Stage 2: Carlos Sainz won the second stage of the Dakar Rally on Sunday, ahead of Nani Roma and Luc Alphand, as the race prepared to move into Africa. Sainz, driving for Volkswagen, clocked 59 minutes, 26 seconds, while Roma and Alphand both timed 59:55 in Mitsubishis to finish second and third. Volkswagen driver Carlos Sousa, who won Saturday's opening stage, retained the overall lead. Sousa finished ninth in the second stage, which took riders and racers from Portimao, Portugal, to Malaga, Spain, through a mountainous trek over a total of 339 miles, with 42 miles timed. Robby Gordon finsished 46th in the second stage, falling from 13th to 18th overall. The Nextel Cup driver is 18 minutes and 8 seconds behind leader Sousa.(FoxSports)(1-8-2007)
Gordon's Dakar Update - Stage 1: Robby Gordon and Andy Grider in their Toyo tire clad Monster Hummer were the 20th vehicle on the 117km special. By the end of the stage they were 13th overall in the car class – 8 minutes and 44 seconds behind the stage winner and Portugal native – Carlos Sousa. Robby Gordon quote after the first Stage: “The stage was very tight and technical and the sand was soft and deep. We had a good race going but we got stuck trying to avoid hitting some fans. I would say we lost close to five minutes by being bogged down. That was the biggest problem. We had a couple of technical issues with the truck. The clutch was slipping so we had to baby it a bit. Overall we are going to be ok. I’m satisfied with how we are going to stack up against the competition.”(1-7-2007)
Gordon's Dakar Update - Day 1: Robby Gordon’s Team Dakar USA arrived at the Belém Cultural Centre in Lisbon for scrutineering in an impressive all black convey that consisted of six off-road vehicles that include the H3 race Hummer, a T4 4x4 race entry to support the H3, a 4x4 support truck, a 6x6 support truck, and two assistance Hummer H1’s. See full reports at robbygordon.com, also at dakar.com, raid-live.com and doindonuts.com.(1-6-2007)
Robby Gordon and Tony Stewart not testing at Daytona: #20-Tony Stewart and #7-Robby Gordon don't plan to attend the preseason Nextel Cup testing session scheduled to begin Monday [Jan 8th] at Daytona International Speedway. Stewart did not test at the track in 2005 and 2006 and once again will skip the session with approval from his team. Daytona testing typically means more for crews to get the cars set up right than it does for the drivers. Veteran racer Mike McLaughlin will test the #20 Joe Gibbs Racing Chevy for Stewart. Gordon is competing in the Dakar Rally, which runs Jan. 6-21 through seven countries in Europe and Africa. Gordon, who has made the switch from Chevy to Ford, likely will be replaced by P.J. Jones for the test session.(SceneDaily.com)(1-2-2007)
2006 News
Monster Energy Joins Forces with Robby Gordon: Monster Energy and Robby Gordon Off-Road have entered into an agreement that will team Monster Energy with Gordon’s world-wide off-road racing efforts including the famed Dakar Rally and the team’s SCORE International Trophy Truck program. The Dakar Rally, arguably the world’s most demanding and grueling motorsports event, will start Jan. 6 in Lisbon, Portugal and end Jan. 21 in Dakar, Senegal. The Versus channel will provide more than 29 hours of Dakar Rally coverage throughout the month of January. In addition to off-road racing, when Gordon begins his third season as a Nextel Cup Series owner/driver in the Feb. 18 Daytona 500, his highly visible racing helmet will feature a unique green and black paint scheme with Monster Energy branding. The #7 Nextel Cup Series pit crew also will wear Monster Energy branded helmets, and Monster Energy will be prominently featured as an associate sponsor on the NASCAR team’s equipment and vehicles including its track-side merchandise trailer. More info at www.monsterenergy.com.(dirtnewz.com) and see a Dakar Preview at robbygordon.com.(12-28-2006)
Robby could run Indy 500 in 2007: #7-Robby Gordon could attempt to race in the Indianapolis 500 again next year after skipping the race in 2006. Gordon has raced in the showpiece event and NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600 on the same day in the past, and his interest has been renewed by the level playing field in the IndyCar Series at present. "I have been offered a lot of rides for Indy," said Gordon. "Next year the race could be the most competitive it's ever been and that would be fun. Looking at the package for the Indy 500, every team will have the same tools to work with one engine manufacturer and one tyre supplier." Gordon has raced at Indianapolis and NASCAR's Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte on the same day in the past, but he insists that he would only attempt the double if his Nextel Cup program is going well. "I would rather wait until the first six Cup races next year so we can say 'are we sitting 15th in points? Have we the improvements we think we are going to make with our program? It's better to wait rather than just say we are going to do it now."(Autosport.com)(11-29-2006)
Robby, Menards, Energizer and the Baja Race UPDATES wins!: Menards and Energizer will team up as the primary sponsor of Robby Gordon and his #7 Chevy for the Nextel Cup Series' season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Harrah's, Jim Beam and CarLoan.com will serve as associates. Known as one of motorsports’ true journeyman, Robby Gordon will spend the week leading into NASCAR’s final event of the 2006 season putting that moniker to the test. Crossing over and reaching back to his roots in off-road racing, Gordon will participate in the upcoming 39th running of the legendary Baja 1000, the sixth and final race of the 2006 SCORE Desert Series season. A former two-time winner of the event, Gordon will once again attempt to reclaim one of racing’s most coveted titles. Driving his #83 Red Bull/Toyo Tires-sponsored Chevy CK1500 Trophy Truck, Gordon will make the trek through the Baja peninsula for the majority of the race before turning over the helm to 19-year old phenom, Andy McMillin. The race runs November 15-18, 2006.(RGM PR)
More: Robby Gordon and Andy McMillin turned in a virtually perfect performance over a nearly 19-and-a-half-hour time span in dominating the 39th Baja 1000 in their Red Bull Chevrolet CK1500.(RGM PR)
and keep up with Robby and his team in the Baja race at RobbyGordon.com.(11-16/17-2006)
TV: A one-hour race recap will be shown on NBC Sports Dec. 10 at 2:30pm/et.(11-18-2006)
RGM Donates $20,000 to the University of Houston: Robby Gordon Motorsports (RGM) announced on Friday a $20,000 donation to the University of Houston to fund The Century Council’s Alcohol 101 Plus program and related alcohol education initiatives. Robby Gordon, team owner and driver of the #7 Jim Beam Chevy car, presented the donation to school officials at Texas Motor Speedway. The University of Houston grant is part of a larger donation given to RGM by Beam Global Spirits & Wine, Inc. and its Jim Beam bourbon brand in support of the Beam Global’s drink smart responsibility platform, aimed to educate consumers on how to make responsible decisions about alcohol. The grant funds will supplement other investments in an environmental management framework to change attitudes and behaviors regarding alcohol among all of University of Houston students. 2006 marks the fourth year that Beam Global Spirits & Wine has brought attention to responsible drinking through Jim Beam and its motorsports platform. For more information on Jim Beam and drink smart, visit www.jimbeam.com and www.drinksmart.com.(Business Wire)(11-4-2006)
Robby Gordon fined and docked points for roll bar padding incident UPDATE Gordon to appeal: NASCAR announced Wednesday that Robby Gordon has been fined and issued two point-standing penalties, for rule infractions during this past Sunday’s Nextel Cup Series event at Atlanta. Gordon, the driver and owner of the #7 Chevy, has been fined $15,000; he also has been penalized with the loss of 50 driver championship points and 50 car owner championship points. Gordon also has been placed on probation by NASCAR until Dec. 31. Gordon violated Sections 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing) and 12-4-N (intentionally causing a caution condition during the race) – of the NASCAR Rule Book. In addition, Gordon’s crew chief Greg Erwin has been fined $10,000 due to violations of Sections 12-A and 12-4-N – and 9-4-A (crew chief assumes responsibility for the actions of his/her driver, car owner and team members). Erwin also has been placed on probation until Dec. 31.(NASCAR PR)(11-1-2006)
UPDATE: Gordon Plans to Appeal Penalty
Robby Gordon Motorpsorts released a statement Wednesday night that did not address whether Gordon was innocent but indicated it would appeal the penalty. "We strongly believe the penalty imposed on the team, crew chief and driver, Robby Gordon, are excessive and fall well outside of any reasonable precedence set by NASCAR in dealing with many similar incidents in the past," Gordon's team said in a statement. "We do intend to appeal the severity of this penalty."(SceneDaily.com)(11-2-2006)
Robby Gordon gets ready for Dakar: With the world's most grueling off-road race 10 weeks away, Robby Gordon lead the 19-member Team Dakar USA team through its final test session leading up to the Dakar Rally which begins Jan. 6 in Lisbon, Portugal. The three-day test earlier this week in the desert of the Southwestern United States in Gordon's purpose-built Toyo Tires/HUMMER-sponsored H3, included navigator Andy Grider and provided all members, including those new to the program this year, what the Dakar experience may entail. Battling similar terrain the team will encounter in the early stages of the 16-stage event through Portugal, Spain and Morocco, as well as the latter stages of Mauritania, Mali and Senegal, Gordon is confident in the team's ability and their chances of capturing the overall title. Gordon and crew will encounter some of the most difficult terrain and environmental conditions known to man on the more than 6,000-mile 17-day journey from Lisbon to Dakar. From torrential rain to blinding sandstorms, Dakar is a test of man as well as machine. Over the last 29 years, competitors from across the globe have made survival the #1 priority in the punishing race. With testing complete and Team Dakar USA set to take on the challenges that the Southern European and African continents have to offer, Gordon's participation in his third consecutive Dakar will bring the race to the forefront in the United States and Canada.(RGM PR)(11-2-2006)
Late Caution caused by roll-bar padding; Burton upset; Gordon guilty? UPDATE 2: Gordon Penalized: #31-Jeff Burton was not pleased with how a piece of roll bar padding created a caution flag about 35 laps from the finish. Burton hit the wall on lap 268 and cut a right front tire. He pitted on lap 281 and fell a lap down. He needed the field to go through its final pit stop under green to catch back up with the leaders but never got the chance when the caution came out for the roll bar padding. "We were going to be OK and then they threw a caution because of a roll bar pad,'' Burton said. "NASCAR should stop every car on pit road and check for roll bar pads and whoever threw their's out should be fined 185 points and $100,000 because it was a huge impact on the race. ... It is starting to happen just too often and NASCAR gets on everybody when it happens. Well, they should find out who did it and penalize them.'' The roll bar pad appeared to come from 10th-place finisher #7-Robby Gordon's car, NBC video showed. "I definitely did not throw anything out of the window,'' Gordon told NBC after the race. NASCAR did not penalize Gordon, citing the video was inconclusive.(Roanoke Times)
AND NASCAR's John Darby, the Nextel Cup tour director, said his inspectors would go through the various team haulers checking race cars for missing roll-bar padding: "It was a very large piece of something black and round, and we don't know what it is when everybody is running at 190 mph. Now trying to prove whose it was is another story. But we'll be going through every car as they load them. But that's not to say it might not have been just under somebody's seat."(Winston Salem Journal)(10-30-2006)
UPDATE: NASCAR officials are investigating whether Robby Gordon intentionally threw debris on the race track to cause a caution at Atlanta Motor Speedway. "As is the case after any race, we looked at a number of cars, including Robby Gordon's," spokesman Kerry Tharp said Monday. "Although we didn't find anything suspicious with the car at the time, we are continuing to review and discuss this situation." NASCAR called for a caution about 35 laps from the finish of Sunday's race because a piece of roll bar padding was on the track. The timing of the caution severely hurt Jeff Burton, who was a lap down because of an earlier incident and needed the field to run through a final round of green-flag cautions to catch up. Gordon, meanwhile, benefited from the caution because he was the first car not on the lead lap. That gave him NASCAR's "free pass" [Lucky Dog] to get back on the lead lap, and he wound up finishing 10th. Burton, a championship contender, finished 13th and demanded after the race that NASCAR investigate to determine where the debris came from. That led NBC to review its race footage, which appeared to show the debris came from Gordon's car. He denied throwing it. Now NASCAR is looking into the issue. "What we saw at the time was debris on the race track, and for safety reasons, the caution came out," Tharp said. "We're gathering all the information we can and we'll make a determination based upon what conclusions we are able to draw from that."(Associated Press)(10-31-2006)
UPDATE 2: NASCAR announced Wednesday that Robby Gordon has been fined and issued two point-standing penalties, for rule infractions during this past Sunday’s NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series event at Atlanta. Gordon, the driver and owner of the #7 Chevy, has been fined $15,000; he also has been penalized with the loss of 50 driver championship points and 50 car owner championship points. Gordon also has been placed on probation by NASCAR until Dec. 31. Gordon violated Sections 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing) and 12-4-N (intentionally causing a caution condition during the race) – of the NASCAR Rule Book. In addition, Gordon’s crew chief Greg Erwin has been fined $10,000 due to violations of Sections 12-A and 12-4-N – and 9-4-A (crew chief assumes responsibility for the actions of his/her driver, car owner and team members). Erwin also has been placed on probation until Dec. 31.(NASCAR PR)(11-1-2006)
Final 2006 race for Jim Beam: This weekend's event will mark the final appearance of the 2006 Nextel Cup Series season for Jim Beam as the primary sponsor of Robby Gordon's #7 Chevy. Dedicated to socially responsible drinking, Jim Beam launched its awareness program, drink smart, in 1995 as an educational program that communicates the importance of responsible consumption by adults of legal purchase age that choose to drink. drink smart means: If you're of legal age and you choose to drink, do so responsibly; Do not drink if you're under 21; Don't drive drunk; If you can't drink smart - don't drink at all. Harrah's, Menards and CarLoan.com will serve as associates.(RGM PR)(10-27-2006)
More on Robby to Ford UPDATE 2 Official 2nd team #77: hearing there will be an announcement by Robby Gordon Motorsports (RGM) at Lowe's Motor Speedway/Charlotte, NC [hearing Saturday, Oct 14th afternoon] when NASCAR races there Oct 12-14th, that the #7 RGM team will be switching from Chevy's to Ford's for the 2007 season.(10-1/10-2006)
UPDATE: Nothing’s official and won’t be until Saturday afternoon, but it’s almost a virtual certainty that Robby Gordon and his self-owned Nextel Cup team will switch to Ford Fusions after this season. He created Robby Gordon Motorsports with Chevrolets this season [actually in 2005], but without much success. All told, his #7 has 30 starts this year, no poles, no victories, one top-five and two top-10s. Only the most attentive NASCAR fans will remember that Gordon ran his first two stock car races (in February of 1991 at Daytona Beach and Richmond) in #90 Ford cars owned by long-time Ford loyalist Junie Donlavey. Also, Gordon was the first driver in the #28 Texaco Havoline Ford from Robert Yates Racing (at Talladega) after the July, 1993 death of Davey Allison. Gordon also did one 1994 Ford race for Michael Kranefuss before moving exclusively to Chevys when he returned to NASCAR in 1996 [Plus he had his own #13 Ford team back in 2000]. He’s driven Chevys for the late Dale Earnhardt, Felix Sabates, Buz McCall, John Menard, Larry McClure, Richard Childress, Jim Smith and now himself. His career Cup stats: 229 starts, 1 pole (for Sabates), three victories (for Childress), 13 top-fives and 31 top-10s.(Ford Racing)(10-13-2006)
UPDATE 2: Robby Gordon and Ford Motor Company will be reunited in 2007 with the signing of a manufacturer agreement between Ford Racing and Gordon’s company Robby Gordon Motorsports. “I had a lot of success with Ford early in my career, and I owe a lot to Ford,” Gordon said. “I think our Nextel Cup program is at the point now where we’re ready to take it to the next level, and Ford has pledged its complete support of helping me realize my dream of winning a NASCAR championship as an owner/driver. I believe my best days as a Nextel Cup driver are still in front of me and I also believe we have laid the groundwork for the expansion of our program.” Like all Ford Racing supported programs, RGM will get its horsepower from the Roush/Yates Engine Company. RGM, in its second season of NASCAR Nextel Cup Series competition, will field the #7 Ford Fusions from a brand new facility in Charlotte that will cover more than 125,000 square feet. Site work for the new shop began Monday. “Robby is a racer in the true sense of the word and I couldn’t be happier to see him back behind the wheel of a Ford,” Davis said. “He’s enjoyed success wherever he’s raced, from off-road trucks to sports cars to open-wheel cars, and he’s been competitive in Nextel Cup despite being a one-car team. “The Ford Fusion is a championship-caliber race car and with the technical support we’ll provide, I believe we can build Robby Gordon Motorsports into a championship-level team.” In addition to RGM’s current car—the #7—it will at a minimum run a limited Busch Series schedule in 2007 with hopes of campaigning a car for the Busch Series championship, and will continue efforts to field the #77 Nextel Cup car in 2007. “Ford has a long history of success in Cup racing,” Gordon said. “Obviously they have been very successful recently with both Robert Yates Racing and Roush Racing, and Dan and everyone at Ford are committed to helping their teams compete for championships year-in-and-year-out and we hope we’ll be able to give them another program that they’ll be able to count on for that.”(Ford Racing)(10-14-2006)
Robby drops Chevy, looking at Manufacturer Options UPDATE denied: After failing to strike a deal to buy Robert Yates Racing – twice – #7-Robby Gordon began making known his desire to be the #2 team with Ford (behind Roush Racing) instead of his current status as, at best, the #5 Chevy team. Officially, Gordon says "as of now, we have no manufacturer deal for 2007," but RGM [Robby Gordon Motorsports] has chosen not to renew its association with Chevrolet after this season. That leaves Gordon looking at Ford, Dodge and Toyota. And while Gordon has a past relationship with Toyota, his team doesn't fit into Toyota's immediate NASCAR plans. A source with a manufacturer says Gordon is most closely looking at Ford, which is in line with Gordon's recent comments on the subject. Ford officials have declined to comment as to the status of their relationship with Gordon, although they have acknowledged having a dialog with the owner/driver. In the meantime, Gordon's team has moved ahead with plans to expand its operation by building a new facility and expanding to two cars in 2007. Speculation centers on Motorola being one of the primary sponsors for the second car.(Yahoo Sports)(9-23-2006)
UPDATE: #7-Robby Gordon, a longtime Chevy driver, denies a report that he has decided to abandon Chevrolet and switch to a Ford in 2007, and he insisted he's still debating his situation as an owner-driver. "That's just not true, that I'm not going to be back with Chevrolet," Gordon said. "We're doing the Dakar Rally with Chevrolet, and we have an off-road (Baja) deal with them (GM's Hummer division). When we get down to brass tacks (for a Cup deal), we'll see where we end up. I have not said I will not be back with Chevrolet. We're working methodically on it, and we want to make sure we make the right decision ... based solely on performance opportunities. We'll probably have a decision by Charlotte (Oct. 14)." But Gordon repeated his position that at the moment he's fifth on the Chevrolet totem pole, behind the Richard Childress, Rick Hendrick, Joe Gibbs and Dale Earnhardt Inc. teams, and that if he switched to Ford he would be at least third, behind Jack Roush and Robert Yates.(Winston Salem Journal)(9-25-2006)
Robby hopes to expand to 2-car team in 2007..with Ford? #7-Robby Gordon, who had been trying to arrange a merger with Robert Yates Racing in recent weeks, has changed his strategy for 2007. He's now working to build his own multicar team. And that team could be using Fords, not his current make, Chevrolet. "I'm done talking to other teams. [They] just don't have an interest, to be honest with you," Gordon said Friday. "We're going to keep our own little program, and we're going to build it." Gordon says talking about the merger detracted from his team's efforts. "We talked a lot with Yates, obviously, and once that didn't happen, I'm going to say it put us behind, by spending our time and effort to do that," Gordon said. "We should have put our time and effort into our own stuff."
Gordon says he's had serious discussions about adding a second team. He's confident he'll land a deal to run a limited schedule. Who that driver might be is up to the sponsor, Gordon said. When asked specifically about which way he was leaning in terms of a manufacturer for next year, Gordon declined comment.(Scene Daily.com)(9-16-2006)
Robby DID try to buy into RYR: from PRN's Garage Pass Radio Show:
#7 car owner-driver Robby Gordon says he came close on two occasions to a 50-50 partnership with Robert Yates Racing. "I was going to buy Yates. Yes we were. We had funding and sponsorship in place for the 88 car.We have our car funded for the seven car. I wanted to buy half of his two cars. That was the deal that was proposed, so whatever you hear on the other side of the street, I wasn't going
to do it unless I could own half of those two cars."
So is any deal with RYR dead in the water? "Before Indianapolis it was dead and then after Indianapolis it was alive and today it's dead so who knows where that is or what's going to happen. It's unfortunate that it's dead because I think I could have been a good coach for the two younger drivers they're going to have in their cars because to date I don't know what they're going to have for experience showing up at the Daytona 500."
What killed the deal? "I don't know.We agreed on everything and the day it was supposed to be done it just didn't happen. I got a call from Robert's attorney that we're (Robert Yates Racing) isn't going to do the deal tomorrow. So it was like, huh? Okay."
It's also unclear as to which manufacturer Gordon will partner with in 2007. "I have had a great relationshp with Chevrolet...obviously I've had past relationships with Ford. Chevrolet has done a great job. They have the best teams in the sport. I can say from a business side right now that with a little bit of luck and to say if we improve as much in 2007 as much as we did in 2006. I could become the second Ford team pretty easy. For me to become the second Chevrolet team we have a lot of work to do. It's really going to come down to who is willing to give us the most amount of resources. We have enough money to race right now...we need more technical support."(PRN's Garage Pass Radio Show)(9-1-2006)
Robby Gordon Running Special Paint Scheme at California: In conjunction with Harrah’s Entertainment Inc., the #7 Chevy will be adorned with the World Series of Poker scheme for the first time in the 2006 season. The #7 will have the WSOP brand in two more races this year. In addition to the Sony HD 500, Harrah’s will display the World Series of Poker scheme at Kansas and Talladega.(RGM PR)(8-29-2006)
IMAGE: see an image on the #7 Team Schemes page.(8-30-2006)
Robby looking to field 2nd team in 2007; RYR 'merger' looks doubtful: #7-Robby Gordon said Friday he still hasn’t finalized his 2007 plans, but SPEEDTV.com has learned that his one-car team is leaning towards adding a second car, rather than joining forces with Robert Yates Racing or another existing Cup team. Robby Gordon Motorsports has identified a driver and a sponsor for a second car, but has not put together a deal yet for next season, sources told SPEEDTV.com. Nor has a decision been made about whether the team will stick with Chevrolets or switch to Fords next year. Expect details about next season to be finalized within the next two weeks, sources close to the team said. One possible obstacle: Sponsors are concerned about committing millions of dollars to new cars next year, when most races will have 50-55 entries competing for 43 spots in the field, 35 of which are guaranteed based on owner’s points.(Speed Channel)
AND A possible Robby Gordon and Robert Yates merger, which Ford Motor Company may be helping bankroll. Gordon, long a Chevrolet man, is also trying to find a second similar second-tier team to join his own camp next season, in part to get a good engine deal. John Story, Gordon's general manager, confirms talks with Ford's Jack Roush about providing engines in 2007, and Roush said he's willing to do that. But Story said there are other irons in the fire, too. "We're not buying Robert Yates Racing, though that's what the rumors have been," Story said. "We're still talking a couple of different manufacturers, Ford being one; we haven't made a decision on that, but we should make a decision within two weeks. We've talked to a number of people, but at some point as the year gets later and later if we can't put together an alliance, we'll have to keep doing what we're doing."(Winston Salem Journal)(8-26-2006)
More on the rumored RYR/RGM buyout/merger RUMOR: [see the original rumor and source below] While Doug Yates spent the week denying a report that his Robert Yates Racing organization had been sold, he's not ruling out allowing someone to merge with his company to help it expand.
Robby Gordon Motorsports officials have not denied that their company is speaking with RYR, among others, about forming some sort of partnership for the future. As a single-car operation, Gordon's team is at a disadvantage in the Nextel Cup garage. RYR team co-owner Doug Yates said that no deal had been made or would be made to sell his team, he paused noticeably when asked to clarify as to whether there was the possibility that a portion of his organizaion could merge with another. Asked to specify whether he could rule out selling part of his program, Yates defined how difficult the situation is for a two-car team trying to compete with larger programs. If, and Yates heavily emphasized the if, he did alter the structure of his team, the plan would be to expand immediately.(in part from SceneDaily.com)
AND more from Ford Racing PR at the Yates/Gilliland quotes: DOUG YATES, continued - IS YOUR TEAM CONSIDERING ALIGNING WITH SOMEONE? IS THAT WHAT IT'S GOING TO TAKE TO COMPETE? "There's no doubt that you have to grow to be to that level. NASCAR set the limit at four times, that's what was out there and if you're going to compete, you've need the resources of four teams. I think we all agree on that. How you get there is things we've been kicking around. It's tough to grow, it's tough to find great sponsors like M&M's. They're just not around every corner, so how do you do that? We've been exploring opportunities and that's some of the things that are swirling. Robby's [Gordon] not buying our whole place [never reported that here], I want to put that to rest. Man, you guys caused us a lot of pain, I'll tell you that. That Jayski guy is killing me. I want to tell you something: If you guys weren't talking about us, I'd really be worried. Because the reason you guys are talking about us is because you expect more of us, and I appreciate that. And we are determined to get back to where you can say some good things about us when we get there."
YOU MENTIONED ROBBY'S NOT BUYING "THE WHOLE THING." IS THERE A SENSE THAT THERE MIGHT BE A PART OF IT THERE? "We're looking for opportunities to grow our business. We have to make smart decisions for the future. My dad is at the point in his career where if he's making every decision of every day he wants to pass the torch off. And I've got a lot of responsibilities on my shoulders. Sometimes you need some energy to help you get there. So, we're going to see how things shape up and make the best decision for our organization, our people, to get a chance to get our cars in victory lane. That is the goal. How you get there, those are
tough decisions. But the goal is to get our organization back where we can win the Brickyard, we can win the Daytona 500, we can have four teams that are competing at a very high level every week. That's a tough 'how to we get there?' And that's what we're looking for."(Ford Racing PR)(8-19-2006)
Energizer back on the #7 at MIS: this will mark the fourth time Menards/Energizer will share sponsorship of the #7 Chevy that Robby Gordon drives. Jim Beam, Harrah's and CarLoan.com will serve as associates.(RGM PR)(8-17-2006)
Robby buying RYR? UPDATE 2 Denied: The LTN Radio Network has learned that Robby Gordon has purchased Robert Yates Racing, #88 and #38 Cup teams and #90 Busch Series team to be effective this week. The Yates-Roush engine program is not included in the sale. No word on the status of the contracts between RYR and sponsors M&M/Mars and Citifinancial, and how they will be affected by the sale.(LTN Radio Network), if this is true...
UPDATE: a representative from Robert Yates Racing says this is NOT True and will not happen, denying that Yates is selling to Robby Gordon.
UPDATE 2: A report that Robby Gordon Motorsports [RGM] has purchased Robert Yates Racing's Cup and Busch Series teams was denied by officials with RGM Tuesday. But, John Story, CEO of Robby Gordon Motorsports, said the two teams have spoken about a possible merger of some sort. "As Robby stated several months ago, we have talked to a number of people both in and out of NASCAR about expanding, with the ultimate goal of fielding a championship-caliber team," Story said. "To be competitive in NASCAR's Cup series today, you've got to have multiple teams. So, yes, we've spoken [to RYR officials], but we've spoken with other people also. "That any sort of deal has been completed between the two teams is completely erroneous." According to the Internet story posted by the LTN Radio Network, the purchase of RYR by Robby Gordon Motorsports would be "effective this week." Story said the need to expand to multiple teams has led to discussions with a number of organizations currently competing in the series, including Hall of Fame Racing and PPI Motorsports among others. "Not surprisingly, a number of teams have contacted us as well," Story said. "But you can't just take two single-car teams and put them together and say you are now a multicar team. It's just not that easy. There are a number of issues that come into play." Those issues, he said, include concerns such as shop space, manufacturer representation, sponsorships and driver selection. "If you make a move like that," he said, "you have to make sure you're in lock step with one another. If anything changes, you have to agree on what the new path will look like."(SceneDaily.com)
UPDATE 3 from RGM: "The rumor that we have consummated a deal to purchase Robert Yates Racing is just that, a rumor. As we publicly stated several months ago, we have spoken to a number of organizations about the idea of aligning resources with the goal of creating a championship-caliber program. In today's NASCAR, great people and multiple teams are two of the requirements needed to win a championship and there are really only two ways for us to get there. The first is to find additional marketing partners for a second, third and fourth car, and the other is to align with another team that is interested in the same opportunities. For months we have been talking to multiple sponsors and teams, and while one of those teams is Robert Yates Racing, we have not purchased Robert's program."(John Story, General Manager and CEO, Robby Gordon Motorsports)(8-15-2006)
Robby talking to other teams about working together: #7-Robby Gordon confirmed informal discussions with fellow single-car entries #96 Hall of Fame Racing, co-owned by former NFL quarterbacks Troy Aikman and Roger Staubach, and #32 PPI Motorsports, owned by Cal Wells, who like Gordon came with a background in Indy-car and off-road racing. Gordon also has been linked to Robert Yates' Ford [#38 & #88] team, which is in rebuilding mode, and Toyota, which is coming to Nextel Cup next year.
"It would be easier for us not to have to change our whole fleet, but we've been known to do things that aren't the easiest," Gordon said. "If we're not looking at every opportunity, then we're not doing our jobs." Gordon's plans include returns to the world's two most grueling off-road races, the Baja 1000 in the Mexican desert in November and the 6,500-mile Dakar Rally in January. He also hinted that he probably hasn't run his last Indianapolis 500.(Indianapolis Star)(8-13-2006)
Johns Manville joins Robby as co-primary at Indy: This weekend’s Allstate 400 at the Brickyard will mark the first appearance in 2006 for Johns Manville as the co-primary sponsor of the #7 Menards Chevy of Robby Gordon. Johns Manville, a Berkshire Hathaway company, is a leading manufacturer and marketer of premium-quality building and specialty products. Jim Beam, Harrah’s and CarLoan.com will serve as associates.(RGM PR)(8-2-2006)
Robby to deliver meals: on Thursday, August 3rd, The Harrah’s Foundation will donate a new $40,000 Chevrolet Colorado meal delivery truck to Meals on Wheels, Inc., a non-profit meal delivery service for Central Indiana homebound elderly and disabled. Following presentation of the delivery truck, Robby Gordon will drive the Harrah’s #7 Chevy race car to the nearby Indianapolis homes of two Meals on Wheels clients to deliver meals.(PR)(8-2-2006)
Robby running dirt race at Vegas: UPDATE wins: Robby Gordon, taking every opportunity to get back to his roots of off-road racing, will participate in this weekend’s SCORE International Desert Series Off-Road Race at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway (LVMS) Dirt Track. Held July 27th through 29th while the majority of the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series regulars take the weekend off, Gordon will race his No. 83 Red Bull/Toyo Tires-sponsored Chevy CK1500 Trophy Truck around the 1.5-mile course designed specifically for this uniquely fan-friendly event. With almost 90 percent of the track viewable from the over 12,000-seat grandstand area, Gordon and the other competitors will tangle on the man-made course in front of a packed house. Gordon will be filling in for the No. 83 Chevy’s driver of record, Andy McMillin, who competes in the truck for the majority of the six-race season. More info at scorelasvegas.com.(Robby Gordon site)(7-28-2006)
UPDATE: Robby Gordon made an open weekend on the Nextel Cup schedule a profitable one for himself by running away with the final race in the featured SCORE Trophy-Truck division of the SCORE Las Vegas Terrible’s Cup II Saturday night. A near-capacity crowd of 8,115 turned out for the final night of the closed-course off-road event at the Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway despite the traffic problems created by a closure of the Interstate 15 freeway throughout the afternoon and early evening due to a fire at a propane storage facility. Gordon rewarded their perseverance by dominating both his heat race and the main event and celebrating with victory donuts in his Chevy CK1500 that sent clouds of dust floating into the grandstand. He had finished third and second in his two races Friday night and said, Gordon, 37, won the opening 6-lap heat race by 35 seconds and the 6-lap main event by 23 seconds, the latter effort earning the team the $15,000 winner’s share of the $25,000 purse for the class. Alan Pflueger, who commutes from his home in Hawaii to race in the desert, started fourth and finished second in his Chevy Silverado SCORE Trophy-Truck, with Pete Sohren of Glendale, Ariz., third in a Ford F-150.(Robby Gordon site)(7-30-2006)
Robby to add a 2nd team? RYR alliance? Robby Gordon Motorsports will expand in 2007, possibly to a two-car operation in-house or by way of an alliance with an existing team. Among those on the radar: Robert Yates Racing. RGM and RYR executives said Saturday they're discussing the future with "a lot of people," and RGM CEO John Story confirmed that Yates is among the teams with which RGM has discussed a future partnership. Whether or not the union comes to fruition, though, is up in the air. "We've spoken to [Yates]," Story said. "We've talked to them, had some general discussions. But we're not yet ready. We've got to get everything on the table, lay it out and see what's best for us. RGM has a contract offer from General Motors for 2007, and regardless the chosen direction Gordon would maintain an ownership role. Story said RGM would prefer to add a second Nextel Cup Series team, and has ongoing discussions regarding the second program with several potential sponsors. "We have a lot going on as far as having a second car in our program," Story said. "That's the most exciting thing. That was the plan all along." Story said Gordon was not in consideration to drive the No. 88 vacated by 1999 Cup Series champ Dale Jarrett. "Robby will not drive the 88 car," Story said. "Robby will drive that 7 car until the end of his career. That much I know -- unless something changes that none of us are aware of."
(in part from NASCAR.com/Marty Smith)(7-9-2006)
Menard to practice for Robby: With Robby Gordon in Ensenada, Mexico, for the Baja 500 off-road race Saturday, Busch Series driver Paul Menard will practice Gordon's #7 Menard's/Mapai Chevy at Dover International Speedway. "I've obviously had an ongoing relationship with Menards Inc., and Paul's done a tremendous job," Gordon said. "[He] actually blew my doors off at Charlotte last weekend." Gordon, a veteran off-road racer, was scheduled to fly to Mexico after Friday's Cup qualifying, start the Baja 500 on Saturday in his Trophy Truck and finish, he hopes, in his Hummer H3 before flying back to Dover for Sunday's Neighborhood Excellence 400.(SceneDaily.com)(6-3-2006)
MAPEI on hood of #7 at Dover UPDATE: This weekend's Neighborhood Excellence 400 ay Dover will be the first race this season new sponsor MAPEI will be on the hood of the #7 Chevy. MAPEI, a global corporation, has been supplying residential and major commercial projects with total installation solutions for tile and stone, floor covering and decorative concrete as well as concrete restoration for more than 65 years. More info at mapei.com.(RGM PR)(6-1-2006)
UPDATE: MAPEI, the world's leader in manufacturing flooring adhesives and concrete products for the building industry, has partnered with Robby Gordon Motorsports as a co-primary sponsor of the company's #7 Chevys. MAPEI will use the relationship with RGM in an effort to get its branding message to contractors and builders in the construction industry, as well as home owners. Beginning with Sunday's Neighborhood Excellence 400 at Dover International Speedway, MAPEI will share primary sponsorship space, specifically the hood, on nine Menards-sponsored cars. In addition, MAPEI will be integrated throughout the RGM program with associate space on all other #7 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series cars and on all RGM equipment and uniforms.(RGM PR)(6-3-2006)
Robby Gordon to pull Triple Duty in NASCAR and Baja: Robby Gordon plans to drive three different race cars in two countries on the same weekend next weekend [June 2-4]. Gordon will defend his title in the Baja 500 in Ensenada, Mexico, where he will drive two different vehicles, and will also drive his #7 Nextel Cup Series car in Dover. Having pulled the famed Indy-Charlotte double three times, Gordon is accustomed to the difficult travel logistics necessary to compete in the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on the same day, but the challenge of racing in the Baja 500 and Dover NASCAR races presents an even greater test. The 37-year-old driver will travel approximately 11,200 miles by air during the odyssey (nearly half the distance around the world) and more than 1,100 miles on the ground. Less than eight hours after the completion of Sunday's Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway, his journey will begin with his first cross-country flight to Ensenada where he will spend three days practicing (or pre-running) both a Red Bull/Toyo Tires-sponsored Chevrolet CK1500 Trophy Truck and a Jim Beam/Toyo Tires-sponsored Hummer H3. Gordon will make the 2,800-mile flight to Dover on Thursday evening before practicing and qualifying his Mapei and Menards-sponsored #7 Chevy Friday. Following Friday's NASCAR sessions, he will again return to Ensenada where he will take the green flag in the Baja 500 at approximately 9am/pt Saturday. He will start the Baja 500 in the Trophy Truck and drive approximately half of the race before turning the wheel over to his
teammate Andy McMillin who will take the truck to the finish line (McMillin campaigns the Team Gordon truck full-time in the SCORE
International Off-Road Series). Shortly after Gordon starts the 500, his father, Bob, will start in the Hummer H3 where he will also drive half way and then turn the truck over to the younger Gordon who will in all likelihood complete the 424-mile course in the H3. Immediately following the completion of the estimated seven-hour race, which begins and ends in Ensenada, Gordon will re-board
his plane and take an overnight flight to Dover where he will start the Neighborhood Excellence 400 Sunday at 2:10pm/et.(RGM PR)(5-27-2006)
Gordon hopes to run 'double' again soon: Robby Gordon told Sirius Speedway (MRN Radio/Sirius Satellite Radio) that the
door is not closed on a driver running both the Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 in the same day, and that he is considering attempting the Indy/Charlotte double next season. "They changed the starting time for the Indy 500, but Indianapolis also changed time zones," he said. "It's still possible for someone to do both, and I may try it again next year. I've come close to winning the Indy 500 before, and it's still a goal of mine at some point in my career. But I'm not interested in `doing the double' just for the sake of doing it. I want to be competitive in both races, with a chance to win. I'm not interested in riding around Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the middle of the pack. If I can't be compeitive and have a chance to win, I won't do it."(MRN Radio/Sirius Satellite Radio)(5-27-2006)
Menards & Moen on the #7 this week: #7-Robby Gordon will again be sponsored by Menards this weekend during the 103rd race at Darlington Raceway while Moen takes center stage on the #7 Chevrolet hood. Moen Incorporated is the No. 1 brand of faucet in North America. In addition to stylish and affordable faucets, Moen also offers residential and commercial sinks and a full range of tub and showering packages. Jim Beam, Harrah's and CarLoan.com will serve as associate.(Robby Gordon Motorsports PR)(5-10-2006)
Robby donates to college: Robby Gordon Motorsports donated $20,000 to Arizona State University to fund The Century Council's Alcohol 101 Plus program, which encourages responsible drinking. Gordon, team owner and driver of the #7 Jim Beam Chevy, presented a check to school officials prior to the NASCAR Nextel Cup race at Phoenix International Raceway this weekend. The grant is part of a larger donation given to RGM by Beam Global Spirits & Wine Inc. and its Jim Beam bourbon brand in support of the company's drink smart responsibility platform to educate consumers on how to make responsible decisions about alcohol.(Business Journal of Phoenix)(4-25-2006)
Toyota to buy out Robby? Harvick? Jarrett AND UPS? #7-Robby Gordon declined to comment on the latest reports that Toyota and sponsor Red Bull are making an offer to buy him and his entire team. General Motors executives are still hopeful of keeping Gordon in their fold and point to the extensive work they've done to help Gordon become more competitive as an independent owner-driver. #29-Kevin Harvick, also said to be on Toyota's wish list, is still negotiating with GM and owner Richard Childress for a contract renewal, and the yes or no could come in the next few days. Harvick has set a package and price, and the ball is in Childress' court. But team sources indicate that Childress isn't willing to meet Harvick's demands. Childress has been unavailable for comment, and Harvick has declined to comment. According to sources, Dodge owner Ray Evernham may be interested in hiring Harvick.
And Toyota apparently wants not only Dale Jarrett but also his sponsor, UPS. That situation is unclear, but it appears to mean that if car owner Robert Yates wants to keep UPS on his quarterpanels, he would also have to re-sign Jarrett for two more years.(Winston Salem Journal), note: supposedly UPS is signed thru 2007 with Yates and Jarrett is signed thru 2006.(4-22-206)
Robby back in Black: Jim Beam Black will take the spotlight for the first time this year with the #7 Chevy at Texas Motor Speedway. Race fans can also enjoy the limelight for a day by entering the inaugural Jim Beam 1100 sweepstakes. The ultimate racing adventure includes an all expense paid trip to see the Indy 500 and the Coca Cola 600 - all on the same day, more info at jimbeam.com. Menards, Harrah's and CarLoan.com will serve as associate sponsors.(RGM PR), see image of the scheme on my #7 Team Schemes page.(4-5-2006)
Robby to deliever Meals On Wheels: Robby Gordon will make a special delivery to a homebound person on Thursday, April 6 in Ft. Worth, TX in his #7 Harrah's Chevy via police escort. He will assist Carla Jutson in delivering the 10 millionth meal served in Tarrant County since Meals on Wheels of Tarrant County began meal deliveries in 1973. In 2002, Harrah's became a national prime sponsor of the Meals On Wheels Association of America's "March For Meals" campaign, committing $1 million over three years and
an additional $1 million from 2005 to 2009. Since 2004, Harrah's Entertainment and Gordon have teamed up to aid Harrah's nationwide
efforts to drive public awareness for the association's campaign. This is the first of six deliveries in race markets this season.(RGM PR)(4-5-2006)
Robby and Andretti in Jim Beam PSA commercial: Jim Beam bourbon announced the launch of its 2006 Public Service Announcement (PSA) to raise awareness of the company's drink smart social responsibility platform. Through drink smart, the company reminds consumers of the basic principles for making responsible decisions concerning alcohol: 1) if you're under 21, don't drink; 2) if you're of legal purchase age and choose to drink, do so in moderation; 3) and never drive drunk. The television PSA, featuring NASCAR Nextel Cup driver and owner Robby Gordon of Robby Gordon Motorsports and Indy Racing League (IRL) driver and co-owner Michael Andretti of Andretti Green Racing, reinforces the drink smart messages and the importance of making smart decisions about alcohol. Using a victory lane backdrop, both Gordon and Andretti reinforce the Jim Beam drink smart messages of making smart choices "on and off the track."
"As professional racecar drivers and team owners, Michael and I are in a great position to encourage fans to make the right decisions when it comes to consuming alcohol responsibly," said Gordon. "We're very committed to helping spread the drink smart messages." For more information on drink smart, please visit www.drinksmart.com. Jim Beam is a primary sponsor of the #7 Chevy driven by team owner Robby Gordon of Robby Gordon Motorsports for a designated number of races in the 2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season. Jim Beam is an associate sponsor for an additional number of races. In addition to the Jim Beam logo, the company's drink smart logo is displayed on the car and Gordon's firesuit to communicate the importance of responsible drinking.(Jim Beam PR)(4-2-2006)
Robby on Wind Tunnel: #7-Robby Gordon, will be Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain’s guest co-host this Sunday, April 2nd. The show airs live on Speed Channel from 9:00-10:00pm/et.(4-1-2006)
NASCAR Safety, reason Robby left the IRL: Paul Dana's death in an Indy Racing League crash was a grim reminder for Robby Gordon of why he raced at Bristol Motor Speedway instead of Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday. "That's why I left," said Gordon, who gave up a promising open-wheel career to race NASCAR full time four years ago. "One hundred percent, no ifs, ands or buts about it. Indy cars are too fast for ovals, and they run ovals every weekend. If I run on ovals, then I'm running around in a stock car with a lot more protection around me and at less speeds as well." News of the fatality in Florida spread through the Nextel Cup garage about two hours before the Food City 500.(USA Today)(3-27-2006)
Menards/Energizer on the #7 Hood: This is the first time this season that Menards/Energizer will be primary sponsors of the #7 Chevy of Robby Gordon. Menards, dedicated to service and quality, is a steadily growing home super center currently adding locations in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio. Jim Beam, Harrah's and CarLoan.com will act as associate sponsors this weekend.(Robby Gordon Motorsports PR)(3-23-2006)
Celebrity Crew Chief for Robby at Vegas: To launch Harrah's Entertainment's premier event of the 2006 season with Robby Gordon Motorsports, nine-time World Series of Poker champion Phil Hellmuth, Jr., will bring his best bluff and tough call tactics to the No. 7 Harrah's team as celebrity crew chief for the 400-mile event in the Vegas desert. With Hellmuth by his side, crew chief Greg Erwin hopes to raise the odds for the team to cash in on their first win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Sunday's UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 is the first event of the 2006 campaign where Harrah's will be the primary sponsor of the #7 Chevy. Jim Beam, Menard's and CarLoan.com will serve as associate sponsors.(Robby Gordon Motorsports PR)(3-8-2006)
Robby's finish ave improves with DEI power: #7-Robby Gordon’s average finish since switching to DEI engines at Phoenix International Raceway last fall is 11.7. The proof is in the numbers: an eighth-place performance at Phoenix, a 14th-place finish in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway and skirting the top-10 in 13th at the Daytona 500. Gordon’s in good company. Only #12-Ryan Newman (7.3), #20-Tony Stewart (8.0), #6-Mark Martin