#7-Robby Gordon believes he made his team stronger through a technological and marketing partnership with Gillett Evernham Motorsports. Gordon will switch to Dodge immediately and he said Friday afternoon he plans to lean on the three GEM Sprint Cup teams for help. “I look at it as it’s a stronger way for my team to survive,” said Gordon, who was 26th in [driver] points [and 28th iin owners pts, #96 Hall of Fame Racing was the highest single car team at 25th in ‘owners’ points’] despite missing a race last year. “Hopefully it’s going to make a good partnership going forward. Right now, today, we’re probably receiving a few more benefits than they are. We’ve got a decent group of engineers at our place, but having teammates is going to be important, It’s going to be nice to have people that we can walk over and say, ‘What are you running for shocks? What are you running for springs?’ I haven’t had this kind of information the last three years. We’ve been able to make it and be competitive, but I think this will take us from the 20s, hopefully back to the teens and maybe even [to] an opportunity to make the Chase.” Short term, Gordon said he believes his team will be ready with its Dodges when practice for Daytona 500 qualifying begins Feb. 9. “I’ve never converted a COT before, especially ones that had never been raced,” Gordon said. “Our cars were ready. I’ve got a good group of guys back in the shop, and I’m confident they’ll do a wonderful job converting these cars. I think we’ll be competitive when we roll out at Daytona.” But why now? Why a week before the season starts? “These were the guys that were willing to do it with me now,” Gordon said. “The season is starting. There is no better time than at the beginning of the season. Right now is the right time. We’re getting ready to go racing.” Another reason was that Gordon’s motorsports operations had spent about $4.5 million for the Dakar Rally, which ended up being canceled. There likely will be a substitute race later this year, but Gordon said that the Dakar situation made him look more urgently about a partnership because “it cleaned some of our slush fund out.” Gordon said he had no problems with Ford as a manufacturer. Gordon had moved from Chevy to Ford for the 2007 season. “Ford was great to work with,” Gordon said. “I didn’t feel there was a suitable team there that was willing to open up their books and share their technology with us. Ford, as a manufacturer, they stood up to everything they said they were going to do.”(SceneDaily.com)(2-3-2008)
