2019 Robby Gordon Headquarters
Dodge Motorsports Notes & Quotes – Robby Gordon Open Interview – NASCAR Media Day
Thursday, Feb. 10, 2011
Denny Darnell
Scott Sebastian
Dodge Motorsports PR
NASCAR Media Day
Daytona Int’l Speedway
Robby Gordon Open Interview
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
ddarnell@darnellcommunications.net
ssebastian@darnellcommunications.net
http://twitter.com/teamdodge
www.media.chrysler.com
ROBBY GORDON (No. 7 SPEED Energy Dodge Charger) CAN YOU TALK ABOUT YOUR NEW RELATIONSHIP WITH DODGE? “I want to start off and tell you how excited I am about this opportunity. AT RGM (Robby Gordon Motorsports), we haven’t had a factory program for two years. We kind of rode it out with Toyota, but it wasn’t a factory program. We really didn’t get any help and that’s the truth of the matter. The motors were good. I don’t have any complaints about the motors or the way that the program went. They had their priority teams prior to us rolling in. My Gillett-Evernham program that was a Dodge program before was all through Gillett-Evernham.
“When I went to their (Chrysler) facility 65 to 70 days ago, I was thoroughly impressed. One, with what they are producing for cars. Second, what their facility is compared to the other two in Detroit. Whoever hasn’t been to Dodge, it’s a beautiful facility. They have all the tools to do what they need to do. I feel with guys that they have in charge with Ralph (Gilles, president and CEO of Dodge) and Bryan (Viger, Head of Dodge Motorsports), and all the guys in the motorsports program, I’m excited about the direction that they’re headed with Dodge and there is multiple opportunities with Robby Gordon Motorsports.”
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT USING PENSKE ENGINES? “The best that we ran with the COT is when I had my split with Gillett-Evernham. I knew I wasn’t going to partner with them. I bolted a Penske engine and we ran in the top 15 pretty much every week. I’ve known Roger (Penske), heck, for my whole career. I’ve idolized him and love the way that he runs his programs. I respect him tremendously. He’s the Captain. Back when we raced Indy cars he was the top, top team that everybody idolized. I had one opportunity to drive for Roger and I choose the Felix Sabates stock car program because I thought that was right direction for my team, for me as driver at that time. Roger’s cars handle on the straightaway. You have to handle on the straightaway. When 85 percent of your lap at most NASCAR races is full throttle, you better handle on the straightaway. The new Dodge engine (R6P8) that they came out with last year, the way that they ran being the two fastest cars here in Daytona (during speedway test), I’m excited about the package that I picked.”
HOW MUCH DID YOU HAVE TO SELL DODGE ON YOUR PROGRAM? “This program actually started about a year back. If Penske would not have reduced down to two cars, there wouldn’t have been an opportunity for me just because they (Dodge) had their program. When that happened, it opened up a great opportunity for us. We get to play in the ‘Fast and the Furious’ program with them which fires out the whole month of April which is perfect for SPEED Energy. SPEED is about a fast and speedy lifestyle.”
DID YOU GET TO WALK THROUGH DODGE’S WIND TUNNEL WHEN YOU VISITED DETROIT? “I toured the place when I negotiated our deal. They were unveiling to their employees their new vehicles. So it was perfect because I got to see their new product line coming out not only for 2011, but what was coming out for 2012 and 2013. They’ve got some very exciting cars on the horizon.”
WHAT DOES YOUR 2011 CUP SCHEDULE LOOK LIKE? “It’s an interesting question. Last year Jamie McMurray started off a little uncertain on how their program was going to be. It’s just amazing how a good result at Daytona can change your season one way of another. Right now, I’m gonna say that we’re good for 18 NASCAR events. There are other things that I want to do. It’s not that I don’t want to race. There’s other event that I’d like to do. With my specialized situation that happened with SPEED, that put us back about 60 days. That probably jacked our Indy 500 program. We’re really starting to gain some momentum. We’re (SPEED Energy) selling product and that’s a good thing. We’re gaining more distribution on a daily basis and we’re kind of controlling our own destiny. Our program is different with sponsors than it was before. We’re really not selling sponsors, we’re selling, ‘Hey, the spots next to Red Bull and Monster. Those are the spots that I want on your shelf and I’ll give you Daytona.’ So we’ve been able to do deals with GNC. We’ve done deals with Basha’s. We’ve signed up multiple, multiple Budweiser distribution deals. Our product is just starting to roll again. We control our own destiny. I am the driver. I am the owner, kind of the sponsor, except for our sponsorship with Dodge. We can be as creative as we want to do.”
Denny Darnell
Scott Sebastian
Dodge Motorsports PR
NASCAR Media Day
Daytona Int’l Speedway
Robby Gordon Open Interview
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
ddarnell@darnellcommunications.net
ssebastian@darnellcommunications.net
http://twitter.com/teamdodge
www.media.chrysler.com
ROBBY GORDON (No. 7 SPEED Energy Dodge Charger) CAN YOU TALK ABOUT YOUR NEW RELATIONSHIP WITH DODGE? “I want to start off and tell you how excited I am about this opportunity. AT RGM (Robby Gordon Motorsports), we haven’t had a factory program for two years. We kind of rode it out with Toyota, but it wasn’t a factory program. We really didn’t get any help and that’s the truth of the matter. The motors were good. I don’t have any complaints about the motors or the way that the program went. They had their priority teams prior to us rolling in. My Gillett-Evernham program that was a Dodge program before was all through Gillett-Evernham.
“When I went to their (Chrysler) facility 65 to 70 days ago, I was thoroughly impressed. One, with what they are producing for cars. Second, what their facility is compared to the other two in Detroit. Whoever hasn’t been to Dodge, it’s a beautiful facility. They have all the tools to do what they need to do. I feel with guys that they have in charge with Ralph (Gilles, president and CEO of Dodge) and Bryan (Viger, Head of Dodge Motorsports), and all the guys in the motorsports program, I’m excited about the direction that they’re headed with Dodge and there is multiple opportunities with Robby Gordon Motorsports.”
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT USING PENSKE ENGINES? “The best that we ran with the COT is when I had my split with Gillett-Evernham. I knew I wasn’t going to partner with them. I bolted a Penske engine and we ran in the top 15 pretty much every week. I’ve known Roger (Penske), heck, for my whole career. I’ve idolized him and love the way that he runs his programs. I respect him tremendously. He’s the Captain. Back when we raced Indy cars he was the top, top team that everybody idolized. I had one opportunity to drive for Roger and I choose the Felix Sabates stock car program because I thought that was right direction for my team, for me as driver at that time. Roger’s cars handle on the straightaway. You have to handle on the straightaway. When 85 percent of your lap at most NASCAR races is full throttle, you better handle on the straightaway. The new Dodge engine (R6P8) that they came out with last year, the way that they ran being the two fastest cars here in Daytona (during speedway test), I’m excited about the package that I picked.”
HOW MUCH DID YOU HAVE TO SELL DODGE ON YOUR PROGRAM? “This program actually started about a year back. If Penske would not have reduced down to two cars, there wouldn’t have been an opportunity for me just because they (Dodge) had their program. When that happened, it opened up a great opportunity for us. We get to play in the ‘Fast and the Furious’ program with them which fires out the whole month of April which is perfect for SPEED Energy. SPEED is about a fast and speedy lifestyle.”
DID YOU GET TO WALK THROUGH DODGE’S WIND TUNNEL WHEN YOU VISITED DETROIT? “I toured the place when I negotiated our deal. They were unveiling to their employees their new vehicles. So it was perfect because I got to see their new product line coming out not only for 2011, but what was coming out for 2012 and 2013. They’ve got some very exciting cars on the horizon.”
WHAT DOES YOUR 2011 CUP SCHEDULE LOOK LIKE? “It’s an interesting question. Last year Jamie McMurray started off a little uncertain on how their program was going to be. It’s just amazing how a good result at Daytona can change your season one way of another. Right now, I’m gonna say that we’re good for 18 NASCAR events. There are other things that I want to do. It’s not that I don’t want to race. There’s other event that I’d like to do. With my specialized situation that happened with SPEED, that put us back about 60 days. That probably jacked our Indy 500 program. We’re really starting to gain some momentum. We’re (SPEED Energy) selling product and that’s a good thing. We’re gaining more distribution on a daily basis and we’re kind of controlling our own destiny. Our program is different with sponsors than it was before. We’re really not selling sponsors, we’re selling, ‘Hey, the spots next to Red Bull and Monster. Those are the spots that I want on your shelf and I’ll give you Daytona.’ So we’ve been able to do deals with GNC. We’ve done deals with Basha’s. We’ve signed up multiple, multiple Budweiser distribution deals. Our product is just starting to roll again. We control our own destiny. I am the driver. I am the owner, kind of the sponsor, except for our sponsorship with Dodge. We can be as creative as we want to do.”
Views: 384
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Mike Kenyon on
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I thought we cover'd that issue last year with the whole 'just go get a Gibb's chassis' dream.
What can cross over between different chassis is things like roll centers, roll stiffness,shocks,
ect.
'Bones' ended the year heading the cars in the right direction for Robby.I'm happy he's still with the team and has more resources to work with.
Even if you could just go get a 'X' chassis from 'X' with'X' set-up.Does'nt mean it will work for Robby! He just can't wait to pick-up the throttle.
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Permalink Reply by Brett Crawford on
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Fine. Just keep building what they have then. There's something different about the way RGM has their chassis setup, and it didn't seem to work. I never said buy a Gibbs chassis, I said to use what new resources are available to figure out why the in-house chassis didn't handle. That's where looking at another team's way of thinking will help RGM.
If you want to argue that fact, go right ahead. When you take off the rose-colored glasses, you'll see RGM was typically racing from 25-30th. I'm excited to see improvement coming this year with the added resources.
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The season has'nt even started and your assuming RGM's stuff is junk,WTF!
Gene Nead stated the biggest problems with RGM cars were aero,will they've got aero help in addition to other technical assistance.How about letting the season start! -
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I'm not assuming anything. If you actually read my post, I said last year their cars were junk. I don't need to assume that, the results spoke for themselves.
I've said all along I'm excited to see what the new partnership brings for 2011. That includes the very post you're blasting me for... -
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Permalink Reply by Lance on
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25-30th...how is that different from how the 2, 12, and 77 performed the last 10 races of the season? Or how the 12 and 77 performed all year long?
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Penske chassis are no better than RGM....that's a fact. Look at how the 2, 77, and 12 car performed late last season. Major issues there. Penske has great aero on his cars but the chassis have been bulky and unresponsive for years. That may be resolved this year, as they have upped their engineering and Travis Geisler is a bright guy who's running the show now. We'll have to see but I don't think the Penske chassis program is worth the purchase.
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in racer speak 'Penske cars handle on the straightaways' means the engines have good horsepower (real good)
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Permalink Reply by gorobbygo7 on
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so not quite a teammate with Toonces. Imagine if they were teammate, wow how things change ;-)
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LOL......hadn't heard the "Toonces" reference in years!
"HE TOOK THE DODGE!"
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Permalink Reply by Ben Cartwright on
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man I am excited
I really hope for the Indy 500 though, more than anything else.
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Permalink Reply by Beagle7 on
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If Robby still has a connection/friendship with Phil Hellmuth...he should ask/work out a deal where he is drinking the stuff at the WSOP...huge TV time there...
and God knows thery are all hopped up on energy drinks during that thing....they play ALOT of poker...
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Permalink Reply by Bigzoom on
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Love how Robby left the door open... "Last year Jamie McMurray started off a little uncertain on how their program was going to be. It’s just amazing how a good result at Daytona can change your season one way of another." So I guess if RG runs good the first 5 races it will be "audible" time or possible other announcements...
"Fast & Furious" program in April...that will be really cool! (More announcements & special paint scheme?)
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