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Permalink Reply by NIKAL on June 23, 2012 at 1:51am

Per Mike Mulhern's interview with RG.
http://www.mikemulhern.net/BreakingNow/marcos-ambrose-and-jeff-gord...

It's been more than three months since he was last in a NASCAR garage.

And he says after Sunday's race here he might be not be back again until next February at Daytona
Yes, Baja legend and Dakar star Robby Gordon, now 42, and a NASCAR headliner since 1991, as well as one of the world's premier off-road racers, says Sunday's Save Mart 350 will be his last NASCAR race of the year. And he's leaving his stock car future in some doubt, as he focuses on his own brand new racing series.
Gordon has been idled since failing to qualify at Bristol in March. This weekend's race will be only his third of the year. He finished 41st at Daytona and 41st at Phoenix.

At the other end of the garage, however the Robby Gordon storyline was one of the day's tops, if more than a bit murky.
Robby Gordon has long been one of this sport's more intriguing characters, colorful, sometimes outrageous, certainly extremely talented, and usually willing, even eager, to speak his mind. All of which has made him so popular with the media.
This year, though, Robby Gordon seems at a crossroads.
Robby Gordon, curiously says he's not planning on running Watkins Glen, the tour's other road race, and a tour event that he won in 2003.
And for a man who wears confidence like a driver's suit, and who exudes positive vibes, no matter what the situation, Robby Gordon here seems a bit up in the air.
"This could very easily be our last Cup race this year, but if it is, we'll be back at Daytona for 2013," Robby Gordon says.
"This is the big series, this is the big game. But at this point in my career, does it make sense to run all 36 events? No. We'll probably run a handful of races each season from here on out, unless something crazy happens and we land a big program. I'd love to do that, and we've got the capability and expertise to do that...but I just don't think that's going to happen."

However without a Detroit manufacturer contract of some sort, to work with, it's virtually impossible to play the NASCAR game anymore.
Robby Gordon is currently with Dodge....and Dodge executives have said nothing about any 2013 plans, and won't even confirm any commitment to NASCAR next season.
Toyota, Chevrolet and Ford have not expressed any interest in adding teams.

Robby Gordon swept both NASCAR road races in 2003, here at Sonoma and at Watkins Glen, and he finished second here in 2010.
However he struggled on the tour in 2011, and this season he's all but vanished.
A month ago he announced a major new business venture, a stadium-based dirt-truck series, which he says will be his focus the rest of this year, that and his SPEED energy drink business.
Robby Gordon was once an expected powerhouse every time the tour went to road courses. And for a man who had been focusing on this event as his 'return' to the tour, Gordon Friday wasn't much of a player.
Robby Gordon was not pleased with practice, and he said he was sweating qualifying. "If I make one mistake I go home," Gordon said. "When you're outside the top-35 in points (Gordon is 50th), you have to run two different races.
"When you're not running every week, you start behind the eight-ball.
"Now we have to work on fuel mileage and rear tire wear.
"I'm going to have to qualify inside the top-20 if we're going to have any shot at this, probably inside the top-15."
He wound up qualifying a weak 34th.

At Daytona in February Robby Gordon had talked about trying to find business partners, and perhaps sell shares of stock.
Then he had engine trouble with NASCAR's new electronic fuel injection at Bristol, where his car wouldn't fire for practice or qualifying.
Since then he's spent more than three months on the sidelines, working on his other business ventures.
And there is the sense that he is slowly fading out of this part of the sport.
What the future holds for Robby Gordon in NASCAR is unclear.
Now if one of the sport's major car makers -- Chevrolet, Ford, Toyota or Dodge -- or a major sponsor were to come along, Gordon could change his game plan to run just a handful of races each year. However otherwise Gordon says the economics of this sport have simply become too much.
That is a rather remarkable development, considering that Gordon's race shops, in Charlotte and in Orange, Calif., are capable of building a variety of winning machines.
Robby Gordon says he will now be focusing on his new StadiumSuperTrucks series, an IROC-type 'stadium' tour that he announced three weeks ago for 2013. That series -- http://bit.ly/O6piJu -- is a work-in-progress that Gordon has high hopes for. And he's got a 'test' session planned for early July, to help promote the series.
Just how successful that stadium series may be is unclear. Gordon seems to be banking on big success, promising 50,000 fans at each of the events, which he says will certainly catch Detroit's eye.
However there are still a number of holes in the game plan, holes Gordon will be spending the rest of the year filling.
Logically Gordon would be using his NASCAR Cup team as part of the marketing plan for the SuperTruck series. Yet he isn't.
Gordon says "I love this sport. I love NASCAR...This sport is what America is all about. And it has the eyeballs and the people.
"It's just the economy has us all in a jam. We haven't made any money in NASCAR in a long time."
When asked at Daytona how many Sprint Cup events he had on his schedule, he said "As much as I can do without going broke.
"I promise you I won't go broke doing this."

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Permalink Reply by mj on June 23, 2012 at 2:33am

If this is indeed Robby's last run for nascar , It's been a good run , but as I've stated many times nascar isnt Robby's world . Yes I'm sad to see Robby not do cup , am I heartbroken ? No . The new series , promoting SPEED , and desert racing are gonna be enough to keep Robby very busy well into the future . Nascar has its own stars and villains , it's time for Robby to step back into to HIS limelight and shine like he deserves to . Robby was born an offroad racer and will die an offroad racer . Now is the time for Robby to do what he was born to do , and take his rightful place as offroad royality .

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Permalink Reply by WestCoast 2 VV on June 23, 2012 at 8:43pm

Well said MJ...my thoughts aswell. Hit the Nail right on the Head! NASCAR is not the same without Robby running. Happy is going to be back at Daytona 2013. Now it RGM's time to shine with his new series...still would like to see the Speed logo on blank, non-sponsored cars & trucks.

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Permalink Reply by Christopher Lutz on June 23, 2012 at 8:49am

+1

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Permalink Reply by putter on June 23, 2012 at 9:12am

There was no mention of Montreal. Is that going to happen?

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Permalink Reply by blitz on June 23, 2012 at 10:42am

as always Robby is one step ahead of the game,nascar is done it will continue a downward spiral major changes will happen to save this mess,Robby's speed series will be a hit HUGE crowds for entertaining events.he is leaving nascar at the perfect time,why stay?no driver outside of the big teams has a chance the same people every week has doomed the sport,Hendrick runs it so he gets to win everything,JJ is a good driver but he is not even top 10 all-time it is a fixed endeavor each and every week.and by some strange turn of events if robby is leading with less than 5 to go there will be a caution no way they let him win, i hope he sticks it to them F Nascar

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Permalink Reply by Chris Jamieson on June 23, 2012 at 5:33pm

It's the same way with F1, Indycar, NASCAR and any other racing series. The teams with the most funding win the most races. I'll give Robby's series a chance hopefully it works out.

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Permalink Reply by Jeff Shelton on June 23, 2012 at 11:12am

This is part of the reason Nascar is on a downward spiral. They let people like Robby get away and they are glad. Its nothing interesting in Nacar today except maybe to see what Kurt Bush is going to do next and it looks as if they are going to run him out also. The Money grubing Brian France will kill Nascar in the end, perhap within the next 10 years. It sadden me to hear Robby may not run no more this year, he is the only reasons I watch now and I'm sure their are other that feel the same. So nascar will be losing even more fans. I not a Dale Jr hater but he a lone can't save this sinking ship. After tomorrow I say this Good luck Nascar see you when Robby returns.

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Permalink Reply by RabidRGfan on June 23, 2012 at 2:14pm

Right on Jeff I agree 100%

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Permalink Reply by Chris Jamieson on June 23, 2012 at 5:35pm

Robby hasn't been able to run decent since he was with Ford. I'm sure if he knew what he knows know he would've gotten out at that point after the menard engine program failed.

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Permalink Reply by john on June 23, 2012 at 11:31am

This is the worst news for me. I very seldom ever get to watch any off road coverage and NASCAR was really the only time I got to enjoy rooting for RG. I wish RGM the very best success and hope his new series goes well along with his other venues, but after Sunday.........

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Permalink Reply by Turtle7 on June 23, 2012 at 12:36pm

It is a shame that talent and colorfulness can't draw sponsership. NASCAR races have not been the same since RG stopped running. I guess it is true that the underdog can't make a go in NASCAR today but RG gave it a good try over the last 6 years.

Here is hoping that his SST series will be successful!

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