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Robby Gordon
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Robert W. Gordon (born in Bellflower, California, on January 2, 1969) is an American racing driver who currently competes in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, owning his #7 Toyota Camry, sponsored by Jim Beam, and also owning his #55 Jim Beam/Camping World ride which competes part-time in the Nationwide Series, he has also raced in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, Champ Car, the IRL, Trans-Am, IMSA, IROC and Dakar Rally. Gordon is regarded as one of the best road course drivers in NASCAR.
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Encyclopedia
Robert W. Gordon (born in Bellflower, California, on January 2, 1969) is an American racing driver who currently competes in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, owning his #7 Toyota Camry, sponsored by Jim Beam, and also owning his #55 Jim Beam/Camping World ride which competes part-time in the Nationwide Series, he has also raced in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, Champ Car, the IRL, Trans-Am, IMSA, IROC and Dakar Rally. Gordon is regarded as one of the best road course drivers in NASCAR. Despite sharing the same last name as fellow NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon, they are not related.
Off-road racing
Robby, the son of off-road legend "Baja Bob" Gordon, started out competing in off road racing. He won 5 consecutive SCORE International off-road class championships from 1986-1990 and a sixth championship in 1996. Gordon also won two championships in the Mickey Thompson stadium series and in three Baja 1000’s in 1987 1989 and 2006. Gordon has continued off-road racing throughout his career in Champ Car and NASCAR. As of 2006, he currently fields a team in SCORE, where he is a part time driver. In 2005 Gordon took part in the famous 16 day Dakar Rally, driving for the Red Bull sponsored Volkswagen team. He became the first American in the history of the rally to win a stage in the car division. He won two stages in total and a 12th place division finish. Gordon also won the 2005 Baja 500 covering the course in 9 hours, 10 minutes, 32 seconds. In 2006, Gordon took part in the Dakar Rally in a Hummer H3. Team Dakar USA did well until stage 9, when a damaged radiator caused late arrival at Atar, Mauritania, and subsequent disqualification. Gordon and co-driver Andy McMillin won the trophy truck class in the 2006 Baja 1000, finishing second overall in the race. After that, Gordon competed in his third Dakar Rally in 2007, driving the Monster Energy Hummer H3 for Team Dakar USA. He finished in the 8th position, his best finish in this race. His current trophy truck sponsor is Monster Energy and drove his Monster Energy truck in the 2007 Baja 500 with a second overall finish. Gordon's sisters Beccy Gordon and Robyn Gordon competed in the 2006 Baja 1000 on the all woman team All-American Girl Racing.
Robby is also currently driving for Baldwin racing in the Championship Off-Road Racing series as his schedule permits.
UPDATE: Robby Gordon finished 3rd in the 2009 Dakar Rally in South America (where the event was moved after terrorist threats led the cancellation of the 2008 event).
IMSA
In 1990, Gordon began racing sports cars. He won races in both Trans-Am and IMSA Camel GT, where he had four consecutive class wins in the 24 Hours of Daytona from 1990-1994, and three consecutive 12 Hours of Sebring class wins.
Open Wheel
Gordon’s first start in the CART IndyCar series came in 1992. His first full season and Indy 500 start would come in 1993. He raced for Derrick Walker from 1994–96. With Walker, he captured his first career pole in 1994 (Toronto), and both his CART career wins in 1995 (Phoenix and Detroit). For 1998 and 1999, Gordon fielded his own team in the series with little success. Gordon raced 10 times in the Indy 500 from 1993 to 2004 fielding his own team in 1999, 2000 and 2004. He, along with John Andretti and Tony Stewart, are the only three drivers to race in the Coca-Cola 600 and Indy 500 in the same day. In 1999, Gordon came within one lap of winning. He inherited the lead by virtue of not stopping for a final pit stop and tried to conserve enough fuel to last until the end of the race. He ran out on lap 199 (of 200) and had to give up the lead to Sweden's Kenny Bräck.
During his time in open-wheel, Gordon earned a reputation as a tough and sometimes overly aggressive racer. According to Gordon, his decision to leave open wheel was based largely on safety concerns.
Indy 500 results
NASCAR
Cup series
Gordon's Winston Cup debut came in 1991, driving two races, including the Daytona 500 for Junie Donlavey in the #90 Ford. In 1993, Gordon drove the #28 Texaco Ford for Robert Yates Racing at Talladega in the team's first race after the death of driver Davey Allison. In 1994 Gordon drove in one race for Michael Kranefuss starting and finishing 38th at Michigan. In 1996 Gordon raced at Charlotte in what was one of the first starts ever for Dale Earnhardt Inc.. He also raced at Rockingham and Phoenix for Felix Sabates. Gordon's first full time ride came in 1997 with Felix Sabates' Team SABCO. Gordon raced in 22 starts with SABCO, and captured the pole at Atlanta. He also finished 4th at Watkins Glen, his only top-ten finish of the year. He returned to NASCAR full time in 2000, attempting to run his own team. Again, the results were disappointing; he failed to qualify for several races and finished with only 2 top-tens in 17 starts.
Gordon started the 2001 season for driving for Morgan McClure, but was released after only five races. In a one-off for Ultra Motorsports, Gordon almost won at Sears Point. He was leading near the end of the race when he ran into trouble when the lapped car of Kevin Harvick battled to pass Robby to get back onto the lead lap, thereby allowing Tony Stewart to slip past and take the win. However, he would not have to wait long for his first win. Later in the same season, he joined Richard Childress Racing as a replacement for the injured Mike Skinner, and won the final race of the season at New Hampshire after a controversial incident resulting in the race leader, Jeff Gordon spinning after contact in the closing stages of the race. (Jeff, who thought Robby had spun him and had been running second at the time, rammed him during the caution flag and got a black flag, clinching the win for the other Gordon. The race, which had originally been scheduled for September, was postponed after 9/11, and after the event Robby announced he would donate all his winnings to the victims of the 9/11 attacks.)
Gordon continued to race for Richard Childress through the 2004 season, staying in the headlines through many controversial incidents. In 2003, he earned his first road course win at Sears Point, after a controversial but legal pass under caution of his then teammate, Kevin Harvick. Gordon took his third career win later in the year at Watkins Glen. He, Jeff Gordon Tony Stewart and Kyle Busch are the only drivers to win both road course events (at Infineon Raceway and Watkins Glen) in one season since the two became part of the current Sprint Cup schedule.
In 2004, at the first stop for the Chase at New Hampshire, Robby Gordon and Greg Biffle made contact early in the race. Later, Robby intentionally wrecked Biffle, whose spinning car also took out Chase contenders Tony Stewart and Jeremy Mayfield. As a result of their DNF's, neither Stewart nor Mayfield were serious contenders in the 2004 Chase after that point. Though team owner Richard Childress asked Robby to stay, Robby announced in late 2004 that he would be operating his own NEXTEL Cup team.
For 2005, Gordon moved his Busch Series team up to the Nextel Cup, and was the only owner/driver left. Robby’s primary sponsor was Jim Beam Bourbon; his crew chief was Greg Erwin. Fruit of the Loom had the temporary privilege of playing primary sponsor for 9 races in the 2005 season. Menards was also the primary sponsor in some select races, as well as Harrah's. Gordon again struggled as an owner/driver, finishing with only two-top tens in 29 starts and failing to qualify for several races. He also remained a controversial figure; in the Sylvania 300, he was involved in a wreck with Michael Waltrip, the driver of the #15 NAPA Chevrolet. The angered Gordon got out of his totaled car and threw his helmet at the #15 car as it was passing by. When TNT interviewed him about the crash, he stated "People think Michael is a good guy, but he's not a good guy. The caution came out and he wrecked me; he's just a piece of shit. TNT apologized for his language, and Gordon apologized after the race, but Gordon was fined $50,000 and docked 50 drivers points. When asked by some people for the helmet, Gordon decided to auction it for the benefit of the Harrah's Employee Relief Fund, a fund that provides aid to Harrah's employees displaced by Hurricane Katrina. The helmet fetched $51,100, and was purchased by GoldenPalace.com.
In 2006, Gordon's team used engines from Dale Earnhardt, Inc., and showed considerable improvement over the previous year's performance over the first few races. He dominated the first quarter of the first Atlanta race in the season, and performed well at Sonoma and Watkins Glen, qualifying and finishing in the top 10 in both races.
During the 2006 Bass Pro Shops 500, he brought controversy by throwing roll bar padding onto the track at Atlanta Motor Speedway, drawing a caution flag that had a significant impact for the end of the race, especially drivers in pit road, most notably NEXTEL Cup contender Jeff Burton who wound up finishing 13th. Video from the race was not conclusive as to if he did in fact put debris on the track but NASCAR reacted by docking Gordon 50 points (each in the Driver and Car Owner categories) and a $15,000 fine. Gordon has denied he intentionally threw the debris.
For the 2007 season, Gordon switched to the Ford Fusion, with engines supplied from Roush-Yates.
On February 1 2008, Robby Gordon said he would go to Dodge in 2008. He also announced a technical, manufacturing and marketing services agreement with Gillett Evernham Motorsports.
Gordon was docked 100 driver and owner points as a result of rule infractions during Speedweeks at Daytona. Gordon's car was found with an unapproved front bumper cover. His crew chief Frank Kerr has been suspended for 6 weeks until April 9, 2008, was fined $100,000, and placed on probation until December 31, 2008. Gordon was not fined.
Gordon appealed the penalty issued by NASCAR in of February, 2008. Gordon issued a press statement. "This was an innocent mistake made my someone not even on our race team. They accidentally sent us the new Dodge noses that haven't yet been approved by NASCAR." According to NASCAR Robby Gordon's Dodge nose says Charger, but it is actually an Avenger and it had the approved nose's part number.
On March 5 2008, the penalty against him was rescinded by NASCAR following the appeal, and he gained back his 100 driver points and the suspension was lifted. Despite this, the fine was increased to $150,000.
On December 16, 2008, Robby Gordon announced he would be running Toyotas in 2009. . Today, he, Michael Waltrip, and now Tony Stewart are the only owner/drivers on the circuit. However, unlike Waltrip (co-owns team with Robert Kauffman) and Stewart (partnered with Gene Haas), Gordon has no ownership partner.
Nationwide Series
Gordon's first Nationwide Series experience came in 2001 when he ran 3 races for Richard Childress Racing in the #21 Rockwell Automation Chevrolet. His best finish was 5th at Watkins Glen International
In 2004 Gordon started his own then Busch Series team(Now known as the Nationwide Series), driving in 25 races and earning one win which came at Richmond.
He participated in several Nationwide races in 2006, including a few for Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s Nationwide team (JR Motorsports) after Earnhardt fired Mark McFarland, his original driver. The most notable highlight of his season was a second place finish at Watkins Glen on August 12. Driving his own #7 Chevy, Gordon went door-to-door with Kurt Busch, driver of the #39 car for Penske South Racing, for the final few laps. Gordon gained ground in the chicane, almost catching Busch. The two cars went wildly into the grass and dirt, almost wrecking each other. Gordon was able to save his car, as Busch went down the final straightaway to win the race. While being interviewed in victory lane Busch gave Gordon praise for a great race and said it reminded him of his race with Ricky Craven at Darlington in 2003.
On March 28th, 2008 Robby Gordon and the #22 Supercuts Dodge Team of Fitz Motorsports joined forces for a part time schedule in the NASCAR Nationwide Series after driver Mike Bliss left the team to drive the #1 Chevrolet owned by James Finch. As of the press release Robby is slated to drive both the Phoenix and Texas Nationwide Series events in the #22 car.
Robby drove his #55 Mapei/Menards Dodge in the Chicagoland Race in July. He will also be driving Watkins Glen in his #55 Jim Beam Dodge.
2007 Montreal Incident
During the inaugural NAPA Auto Parts 200 at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Gordon was involved in an on-circuit altercation with fellow driver Marcos Ambrose. Gordon passed Ambrose to take the lead at the same time as a multi-car wreck was unfolding behind them; Ambrose spun him, under a yellow flag, to reclaim it seconds later.After an unusually long delay in sorting out the field for the restart, NASCAR eventually determined that Gordon would restart in 13th position. Gordon, who had a strong race all day, refused to go to that position, and was black flagged after the restart, and after spinning out Ambrose. Gordon did not come in for his penalty and was subsequently disqualified and given the final finishing position of 18th. Following the race, Gordon proceeded to do burnouts on the front straightaway as if celebrating his victory, alongside race winner Kevin Harvick. He announced in a post-race interview that he would appeal the result of the race. However, NASCAR suspended Gordon for the following day's race at Pocono. In a statement released soon after the NASCAR announcement, Gordon apologized for his actions but maintained that NASCAR made a mistake in telling him to line up in the 13th position.
Nationwide Series Wins
Craftsman Truck Series
Gordon has run 4 career Truck Series races with one top-5 and 2 top-10 finishes. He has run for Team SABCO, Bobby Hamilton Racing, and Morgan-Dollar Motorsports.
In popular culture
- Gordon made a cameo in the Burger King "Chicken Fries" television commercial, appearing in a crash scene where he was driving in relief for Davey Allison at Talladega Superspeedway.
- Gordon made a guest appearance as an Indy Car driver on Home Improvement in the episode 'No No Godot' in 1995.
- Gordon made a guest appearance in the January 31, 1998 (Season 2, Episode 10) episode of the NBC series The Pretender as an Indy Car driver.
Significant Victories
- 6 SCORE International championships (1986-90, 1996)
- 3 time Baja 1000 winner
- 3 Dakar Rally stage victories
- 3 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series wins
- 1 NASCAR Sprint Cup Gatorade 125 Win
- 1 NASCAR Nationwide Series win (Richmond '04)
- 2 CART wins (Phoenix and Detroit '95)
- 2 Central Europe Rally Special wins
External links
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