NASCAR SPRINT CUP > News > Race Previews Menards/Mapei Charlotte Preview

Robby Gordon

No. 7 Menards/MAPEI Chevrolet

Race Preview Fact Sheet

Event/Date: Bank of America 500 – Oct. 14, 2006

Venue: Charlotte Motor Speedway – Concord, NC

TV/Radio: NBC Television, 7 p.m. EDT, MRN Radio, 6:30 p.m. EDT

Robby Gordon’s Quotes for Charlotte

Last weekend’s race had an unexpected finish, what was your take on how things went down?

“I didn’t see exactly what happened between the 25, 48 and the 8 from the car.  All I heard was my spotter saying ‘watch out’ and that the caution was out and I saw a car was spinning through the grass.  When I watched the replay it was pretty clear to me that Brian (Vickers) was just trying to follow his teammate and shoot passed Junior.  It’s just part of plate racing.  You’re in a position to win a race and there is no way that he (Vickers) was going to lift when they are that close to the end.”

Last time around at Charlotte the track had a brand-new surface and two tires was the call most of the night, can we expect to see some of the same?

“You can expect to see almost the same race as back in May.  Running the same fuel cells that we use at Daytona and Talladega at Charlotte makes it a fuel-mileage game where track position in going to be the key.  With a window that used to be in the neighborhood of 60 laps, we now can only go 30 or so before we need to pit.  The new track surface allows us to take two tires and be able to jockey for position all night.”

Harrah’s Fast Facts:

• Welcome Back – Menards and MAPEI (ma-pay) team up once again as the primary sponsor of Gordon’s No. 7 Chevy for this weekend’s Bank of America 500 at NASCAR racing’s unofficial home track, Charlotte Motor Speedway.  MAPEI, a global corporation, has been supplying residential and major commercial projects with total installation solutions for tile and stone, floor covering and decorative concrete as well as concrete restoration for more than 65 years. Visit www.mapei.com for technical information or call 1-800-42-MAPEI (1-800-426-2734) for the nearest location.  Harrah’s, Jim Beam and CarLoan.com will serve as associates.
• Chassis – Robby Gordon Motorsports will run Chassis No. 104 at this weekend’s event.  No. 104 last saw action earlier this year in the Nextel Open and Coca Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway where Gordon brought it home to a 9th and 16th-place effort, respectively.  Chassis No. 109 will assume back-up duties. 
• Points Position – Following a 16th-place finish in last weekend’s race at Talladega Superspeedway, Gordon remains 27th in owner points, currently 48 points from 25th and 312 points out of 20th.
• Meet the Driver – Gordon will sign autographs and visit with fans on Saturday at 2:35 p.m. at the Robby Gordon Motorsports merchandise trailer.
• Meet the Crew – Swing by and meet the No. 7 crew as they take a moment to sign autographs and visit with fans at the Robby Gordon Motorsports merchandise trailer on Saturday at 11 a.m.
• Can’t make it to the track? – Back by popular demand, Robby Gordon Motorsports is proud to announce the return of the online to RobbyGordon.com.  Designed with the fan in mind, this user-friendly site allows fans to purchase their favorite Robby Gordon off-road, Menards, Jim Beam and Harrah’s gear with ease.  Shop for the latest diecast car or a new t-shirt from the comfort of you own home, all the while supporting the official racer of racing, Robby Gordon. 

Robby Gordon Charlotte Statistics

Robby Gordon Cumulative NASCAR Series Statistics

No. 7 Menards/MAPEI Chevrolet Team Roster

Owner/Driver: Robby Gordon – Orange, Calif.

Crew Chief: Greg Erwin – Hatboro, Pa.