NASCAR SPRINT CUP > News > Race Reports 6th Place Finish for Gordon in Daytona

DAYTONA BEACH, FL (July 5, 2008) – Heading into the 4^th of July weekend at the Daytona International Speedway, Robby Gordon and his team had a plan to keep up with their tradition of successful finishes at restrictor plate races. With a 37^th place start, strategy, speed and intelligent pit calls resulted in a 6^th place finish.

The bright blue and yellow-flamed No. 7 Menards Dodge started out being patient but had difficulty finding grip in the rear tires and was battling a loose condition off of turn two and into turn three in the early laps of the race. By lap 19, the first caution of the night was brought out by a single car. This was beneficial to Gordon, who’s attempt to lead a lap and earn five bonus points by staying out was unsuccessful by two positions. The second time by, the team took advantage of the open pit lane and the Robby Gordon Motorsports crew made a track bar and air pressure adjustment to tighten up the car.  

For the first half of the race, the competition was tame and Gordon radioed in that he was “just cruising.” The team was still fighting loose conditions that were only slightly improved on by the first pit stop, but by lap 40, Gordon was as quick as the leaders of the field.  

Another single-car incident occurred on lap 43, and Gordon would make his second pit stop under yellow. The crew went to work on the car providing four fresh tires and another track bar adjustment. Twenty laps later, the No. 7 had worked its way into the 28^th position and would make it up to the 22^nd position before the next caution on lap 71. Gordon stayed out and lead a lap, earning 5 extra bonus points.

 Gordon had dropped back to the 34^th position as a result of his pit strategy to lead a lap, but was back up to the 10^th position by lap 108 and on the hunt for another successful restrictor plate finish.

“The long runs are really good for us,” Gordon stated over the radio. “This car is fast in the corners.”

The No. 7 Menards Dodge Charger’s performance at restrictor plate races was again showing its strength, when Gordon was running strong in the top-ten with fifty laps to go. Crew chief Walter Giles and Gordon began discussing their pit strategies for the remainder of the race. They realized that a good strategy could give them the finish their car deserved.  “Thirty laps into the run, you’ve got the fastest car,” Giles radioed to Gordon.

The competitors were getting fired up as the race was getting close to the checkered flag, and cautions were breading cautions out one after another. Gordon took his last pit stop under yellow on lap 137, a strategy that resulted in fresher tires than the majority of the leaders. “This is going be a good night,” Gordon stated after his pit. The team was running strong in the top-ten with ten laps to go.

 The No.7 Menards Dodge made it through the wrecks at the end and glided across the finish line under yellow and in 6^th place.  

 “I am happy that we were finally able to nail a finish like we have been running lately,” Gordon stated. “We’ve had fast cars but we seem to make the wrong decisions late in the race. Today the team made smart decisions and I think we are learning from our mistakes in the past, and we are looking forward to another strong run this weekend in Chicago driving the Jim Beam Dodge.’’

Robby Gordon Motorsports heads to Chicago next weekend for the 17^th race of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.