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The independent owner-driver was an endangered species a decade
ago, and, if not for Robby Gordon, would be all but extinct. But Gordon makes it
work, possibly since he gets along with his boss. Gordon ran deceptively well
last year under his Robby Gordon Motorsports banner — considering his singlecar status — and an improvement in 2008, while certainly not guaranteed, is
not out of the realm of possibility, either.
Still, it may well be an uphill battle. Just when it seemed that the team was
gaining some much-needed stability, crew chief Peter Sospenzo and car chief Bill
Henderson abruptly departed, leaving Gordon to spend the offseason — when
not halfway across the world off-roading — launching a personnel search. The
result was the hiring of former Michael Waltrip Racing crew chief Frank Kerr to
turn wrenches for the No. 7.
Another area where the team could use a little stability is sponsorship. Jim
Beam will return for 13 races, and longtime sponsor Menards will likely show on
the hood a few times, but sponsors have been a revolving door on the car since
its inception, and it’s not a stretch to wonder if worrying about this takes away
from Gordon’s ability to concentrate on the day-to-day business.
But judging by performance, it does appear that RGM is in it for the long haul.
Gordon, a fierce competitor, is bucking the trend of multi-car teams owned by
multi-millionaires, and he is the perfect wheelman to make it work —
aggressive to the core. New crew chief Kerr will be a key to success in ’08 —
provided he stays on board for a full season, something this team desperately
needs. Gordon will be enough of a threat on road courses that a win is not out
of the question. If he doesn’t let his temper take control of his common sense,
Gordon should continue to plug along on his own with limited success.
FANTASY STALL
Looking at Checkers: This is a no brainer: Sonoma and Watkins Glen.
Pretty Solid Pick: It may come as a surprise, but Gordon runs okay on the plate tracks, although
ATHLON
RANK
FLAT TRACKS
29
INTERMEDIATE TRACKS
Rank: 33rd
Rank: 24th
Best Finish: 17th, New Hampshire Best Finish: 10th, Dover
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AT H L O N S P O R T S ™ R A C I N G
a win is certainly a stretch.
Good Sleeper Pick: Atlanta or Darlington — if he can practice patience.
Runs on Seven Cylinders: Perhaps he’s claustrophobic or maybe just impatient, but short tracks
are his downfall.
Insider Tip: Let’s be honest: He’s a top-5 pick on the road courses. Avoid elsewhere.
OPPOSING CREW CHIEFS’ TAKE
“Robby’s his own worst enemy. He’s got talent, but he just doesn’t have the mindset or
commitment to do this. He likes to dabble here, dabble there, but he owns this team, runs
it and probably goes through more people than anybody. … More show than go. He’s a
good talent, but in today’s world, that’s no longer enough. … He doesn’t need to be
owning the team and driving the car both. He’d be better off if he drove for somebody,
but because he’s so volatile, this is the only way he can make it stick. … Robby may be
the biggest waste of talent in this sport. He’s evidence of the fact that some people never
grow up.”
PLATE TRACKS
ROAD COURSES
SHORT TRACKS
Rank: 26th
Rank: 8th
Rank: 31st
Best Finish: 15th, Daytona (2) Best Finish: 5th, Watkins Glen Best Finish: 20th, Bristol
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2007 RESULTS
2007 RECAP
Gordon’s season likely flew under the radar for most, as
he managed only two top-10 finishes on the year. On the bright
side, he also posted only two DNFs (half the number of ’07 champ
Jimmie Johnson), only one of which was due to engine failure —
a testament to Gordon’s wise choice to switch from an in-house
engine program to the Roush-Yates conglomerate.
The road courses continued to be this team’s strong point;
Gordon was able to pull a top 5 out of his hat at Watkins Glen,
even though he had been forced to sit out the previous week on
suspension due to a Busch Series infraction. Gordon also ran a
part-time Busch Series schedule out of his shop, focusing on the
road course races with that car and nearly winning Montreal
before losing his temper. But improvement was noticeable on
ovals; the No. 7 car posted respectable finishes on tracks like
Dover and New Hampshire.
Although Gordon did not have the equipment to outpace the top
teams, he certainly kept up with many others closer to his budget
level, and with quite a few who had more at their disposal. His
problem came with finding and keeping a crew chief, which may
speak to Gordon’s personality more than the crew chief’s not
doing his job. Greg Erwin left in June to pursue greener pastures
at Roush Fenway Racing, and replacement Gene Nead lasted only
a few months. Peter Sospenzo came on to replace him, finishing
the season, but he chose not to return for 2008.
2007 RAW STATS
Final Point Standing
After First 26 Races
Starts
Poles
Wins
Top 5
6-10
Laps Led
Lead Lap Finishes
Bonus Points
Races Led
26th
27th
35
0
0
1
1
58
9
35
6
Track
Daytona
California
Las Vegas
Atlanta
Bristol
Martinsville
Texas
Phoenix
Talladega
Richmond
Darlington
Lowe’s
Dover
Pocono
Michigan
Infineon
New Hampshire
Daytona
Chicago
Indianapolis
Pocono
Watkins Glen
Michigan
Bristol
California
Richmond
New Hampshire
Dover
Kansas
Talladega
Lowe’s
Martinsville
Atlanta
Texas
Phoenix
Homestead
Finish Start
15
21
17
20
33
34
24
24
41
34
38
22
10
41
13
16
17
15
36
27
Laps Laps
Led Completed
39
0
42
0
38
0
39
0
34
0
25
0
23
1
38
0
38
0
42
0
33
0
35
0
33
0
37
0
30
0
2 48
16
0
25
0
39
0
42
0
Suspended
5
29
0
24 30
2
20
24
3
41
35
0
36
39
0
31 40
0
19
41
0
19
41
0
29
24
3
38 40
1
39
39
0
21
33
0
32
41
0
24
39
0
27
41
0
Status
Points Points
Earned Position
202/202
249/250
266/267
324/325
493/504
490/500
332/334
310/312
33/192
378/400
317/367
393/400
400/400
103/106
199/200
110/110
300/300
160/160
225/267
157/160
Running
Running
Running
Running
Running
Running
Running
Running
Engine
Running
Running
Running
Running
Running
Running
Running
Running
Running
Running
Running
118
100
112
103
64
61
96
91
40
61
49
97
134
40
124
125
112
118
55
82
90/90
202/203
500/500
159/250
335/400
297/300
397/400
210/210
161/188
270/337
390/506
328/329
300/334
312/312
264/267
Running
Running
Running
Running
Accident
Running
Running
Running
Running
Running
Running
Running
Running
Running
Running
155
96
108
40
55
70
106
106
81
54
46
100
67
91
82
14
14
14
16
21
23
21
23
27
29
32
33
31
31
29
24
24
24
26
27
29
26
25
27
27
27
27
27
27
27
27
28
26
26
26
26
No. 7 Jim Beam Ford
Owner: Robby Gordon
Team: Robby Gordon Motorsports
Crew Chief: Frank Kerr
Gordon and Number: Russell LaBounty/ASP, Inc.
Car: Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images
COT STATS
Points Earned
Starts
Poles
Wins
Top 5
6-10
Laps Led
Lead Lap Finishes
Bonus Points
Races Led
1,409
16
0
0
1
1
54
6
20
3
AT H L O N S P O R T S . C O M
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