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)
