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Robby Gordon’s Daytona run may have been a season saver
By admin | July 8, 2008
By Richard Allen
Three weeks ago Robby Gordon was barely clinging to a spot inside the Top 35 of the overall standings. His team, Robby Gordon Motorsports, was only 34 points ahead of the 35th place team in the owner point standings. A team must be in the Top 35 to be assured of a starting position in each race, otherwise they must qualify on speed.
However, it seemed as though there was no need for worry. Although RGM had been dropping in the owner standings, the next race was to be held on the road course in Sonoma, California and Gordon has proven himself to be one of the top road racers in NASCAR. Surely a good finish and some breathing room in the standings would be a certainty at the Infineon Raceway.
Instead, Gordon tangled with another car and damaged his #7 machine. A 36th place finish was all he could muster on a track where he was thought to be a contender for a win.
After Sonoma, Gordon’s points position became even more precarious. He was only one blown tire or broken part away from losing his guaranteed starting spot.
The Coke Zero 400 provided an opportunity for either success or failure for the Cerritos, California native. He had finished 8th in the Daytona 500 and 11th in the Aaron’s 499 at Talladega so he had the potential for a good finish on the restrictor plate track. However, the ever looming threat of “The Big One” can ruin any driver’s evening at any time.
As it turned out, Gordon was not only able to make it to the end of the 400 mile race but he managed his best finish of the season. His 6th place effort at Daytona could not have come at a better time.
Now, Robby Gordon Motorsports sits in the 31st position of the owner standings, but more importantly, RGM has a 184 point cushion over the 36th place team.
Gordon’s season may well have been saved by this outstanding result. Any team that finds itself having to qualify on speed also finds itself in the position of possibly missing races and thus digging itself into a hole it cannot get out of.
Robby Gordon may have indeed saved his season.
Richard Allen is a member of the National Motorsports Press Association. His weekly column appears in The Mountain Press every Wednesday.
Topics: Articles |
July 9th, 2008 at 8:10 am
As a Robby’s fan, I experienced the depression of Sonoma, & the euphoria of Daytona. Both those are history. It’s time to look ahead.
You are absolutely correct, as far as your story goes.
To turn the season around, as opposed to merely “saving” it. They will have to figure out the “cookie cutters”
Thank you for a positive story, about a driver that so many in the media love to write negatively about.
July 9th, 2008 at 11:00 pm
As another Robby fan its good to see him get a little positive coverage for a change.Its tough to be a lone wolf and compete with the Hendricks,Gibbs and Roushes of the Nascar world,but Robby manages to do it,and on his own terms.Put Robby in a Hendricks car and watch how his performance would improve.
July 10th, 2008 at 9:11 pm
Most of the people who speak negatively fail to fully realize how much effort and acumen it takes to build a successful business and provide jobs for others.
Robby should be commended and supported for being a new day pioneer with all the sponsorship challenges and high costs.
Sad would be the day when only large teams race in Nascar.
The sport was built on the hard sacrificial work of many individual visionaries who loved the sport more than the dollar!
Robby, you are #1 in my book for being a visionary, true sportsman, and business leader. What an example to other small business owners like myself!