Pre-Race Report
Jim Beam Racing/Robby Gordon Motorsports
No. 7 Jim Beam Chevrolet
UAW-GM Quality 500 (Lowe’s Motor Speedway)
Saturday, October 15th, 2005
Race 31/36
Huntersville, NC (October 10, 2005) – With seven laps remaining in the Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in May, Robby Gordon and his No. 7 Chevrolet were running fourth and poised for a solid finish when one of the more bizarre issues of the season hit. A right front brake rotor failed sending Gordon into the wall after 589 miles of competition.
The car had been one of the fastest on the night, proven by the fact that Gordon was able to make up a two-lap deficit by passing leader Ryan Newman twice under green flag conditions to get back on the lead lap at the mid-point of the race. Gordon had lost two laps early in the event due to a small oil spill in the trunk of the car.
“That night could have turned our entire season around,” said Gordon. “Instead of finishing fourth or higher, we had to settle for a 27th place finish and it seems that our luck hasn’t changed yet. We’ll go to Charlotte again this week with the thought of being just a fast as we were in May, and perhaps we’ll turn the corner and finish the ’05 season the same way he hope to run the entire ’06 schedule.”
Pit Stops…
Double Duty – Gordon will be participating in two races this weekend starting on Friday night in the Busch Series Dollar General 300 driving the No. 55 Jim Beam Chevrolet and racing the following evening in the Nextel Cup UAW-GM Quality 500 in the No. 7 Jim Beam Chevrolet.
Track Configuration – Built more than four decades ago, Lowe’s Motor Speedway is the largest sports facility in the Southeast with 167,000 permanent seats and capacity for nearly 50,000 more spectators in the infield area. It was the first superspeedway to host night racing in 1992 and was the first sports facility in America to offer year-round living accommodations when it released 40 condominiums for sale high above Turn One in 1984.
Good $ for a Good Cause – As part of the drink smart® campaign, Robby Gordon Motorsports will donate $10,000 from a $100,000 fund provided by Jim Beam bourbon – the “Official Spirit of Racing” - to officials from University of North Carolina at Charlotte. The donation will fund the University’s implementation of The Century Council’s Alcohol 101 PlusTM education program and related alcohol-education activities.
“Full Throttle Race Weekend” – Through a season-long promotion, one of Jim Beam and Robby Gordon’s biggest fans and guests will spend this weekend experiencing the thrill of racing first-hand. As part of the weekend, the winner and two guests will visit the Robby Gordon Motorsports shop, meet and have dinner with Gordon and watch as he competes in both the Busch and Cup races throughout the weekend from the Jim Beam suite.
Lights, camera, action – Jim Beam has unveiled a public service announcement, featuring Robby Gordon and Indianapolis 500 winner Dan Wheldon, about making sensible decisions relating to alcohol consumption. The PSA was produced to raise awareness of Jim Beam’s social responsibility platform, drink smart®.
Katrina Support – Robby Gordon Motorsports has already made an initial contribution of $20,000 to Katrina Relief. Gordon also auctioned his infamous helmet from the New Hampshire race, raising an additional $51,100 for the Harrah’s Employee Relief Fund. Gordon has pledged to donate $7 for each completed lap for the remainder of the 2005 season. Gordon hopes to complete all 334 laps in the UAW-GM Quality 500 and donate the maximum amount of $3,500 to the fund.
TV and Radio – This weekend’s race will be broadcast on NBC, beginning at 7 p.m. on Saturday, September 15th, 2005. Listeners can also find the race live on PRN radio.
Behind the wheel with Robby Gordon…
With most of the season behind you, what are some of your goals in the coming weeks?
“This has been a good learning year for our team. We knew coming in that we probably wouldn’t contend for a championship, but that thought has been erased for next season. We’ll spend the next six races preparing for 2006, and at the same time look for ways to win this year. Racing at this level is tough. These are the best race teams in the world with some of the smartest people in racing working on virtually every team. We need to finish where we have been racing for the last couple of months, and when we start doing that we’ll show our potential. This season has established a great foundation for the future.”
