NASCAR SPRINT CUP > News > Race Previews Harrah's Phoenix Preview

Robby Gordon

No. 7 Harrah’s Chevrolet

Race Preview Fact Sheet

Event/Date: Checker Auto Parts 500 – Nov. 12, 2006

Venue: Phoenix International Raceway – Phoenix, Az.

TV/Radio: NBC Television, 3 p.m. EDT, MRN Radio, 2:30 p.m. EDT
 

Robby Gordon’s Quotes on Phoenix

With two top-10 finishes at Phoenix to your credit, what are your chances for a third this weekend?
“This weekend’s car has really been our go-to-car for short tracks this year.  We ran it at Martinsville and had some trouble with the rear-end gear, but it was fast all day.  We’ve had some bad luck over the last few weeks and we need to focus and be able to start the 2007 season off on the right foot with some momentum behind us, and that starts this weekend.”

Crew Chief Greg Erwin’s Quotes on Phoenix

“The car we’re taking to Phoenix is the car that we ran at Martinsville most recently.  It was reworked completely before we took it to Martinsville.  It’s probably our best option for a short-track car that we have at the shop.  We felt it would be a lot better certainly than where we finished (37^th at Martinsville), considering the issues we had.  Robby and I have run historically very well at Phoenix, even back with the Cingular car.  It was one of our better finishes at the end of the season last year and I feel we’re going to have a better race car this time around and it’s also going to come down to having a good qualifying spot.”

Harrah’s Fast Facts

Curtain Call – This weekend’s event will mark the final race of the 2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup season that Gordon’s No. 7 Chevy will carry the Harrah’s scheme as the primary sponsor.  Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc. and Caesars Entertainment recently merged in the largest transaction in gaming history.  The consolidated company now owns or manages through various subsidiaries more than 40 casinos in three countries, primarily under the Harrah’s, Caesars and Horseshoe brand names.  With nearly four million square feet of casino space, more than 40,000 hotel rooms and nearly 100,000 employees, the Harrah’s portfolio is the most diverse in the gaming industry.  Menards, Jim Beam and CarLoan.com will serve as associates.

Chassis – Robby Gordon Motorsports will run Chassis No. 110 at the one-mile oval of Phoenix International Raceway for this weekend’s event.  Chassis No. 110 acted as the primary back in the spring for Gordon’s last run at PIR and was ran as recently as Martinsville where Gordon was sidelined early due to a broken rear-end gear.  Chassis No. 103 will assume back-up duties.

Points Position – Following a disappointing finish at Texas Motor Speedway, Robby Gordon fell to the 30^th position in points, 240 points out of 25^th and 597 points ahead of 35^th.

Robby Gordon Phoenix Highlights
Podium Finish – Gordon returns for this weekend’s event as a former winner at the one-mile oval.  Before entering as a regular in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series in 2001, Gordon was a full-time competitor in the open-wheel series CART, where he visited victory lane on several occasions, including April of 1995 at Phoenix International Raceway.

Robby Gordon Cumulative NASCAR Series Statistics

No. 7 Harrah’s Chevrolet Team Roster

Owner/Driver: Robby Gordon – Orange, Calif.

Crew Chief: Greg Erwin – Hatboro, Pa.