Robby won't be able to actually secure a sponsor for 2009 until after this season is over. If he is in the top 35, he might get some partial sponsorship. If not, Jim Beam will be another car next season. I don't care what rhetoric RG or RGM is spewing about Jim Beam being "all but done." No way are they going to relieve 2005.
If RG doesn't shut up and drive, his time as an owner/driver in Cup is over and he'll be lucky to get a second tier ride driving for someone else.
Old Wreckin Robby will knock himself out of hte top 35 next weekend at Richmond, I think he has more +40th place finishes than any other driver. He ran his mouth how good his car would be, long drive back to NC to face the reality.
we finished 26th last time we were at Richmond and started 38th. Hopefully we can qualify inside the top 25 and finish top 20 to get more than 12 points behind hornish. Our best finish in the last 5 races has been 27th, with an avg of 36th. Not what we need. Last 3 races we have finished 37th, 39th, and 40th. I don't know if Richmond is a impound race or not, but if it isn't we need to go full board qualifying setup to get us started up near the front half and then tweak that speed for race. I would rather be fast for 15-30 laps rather than slow from lap 1-45 and then be as fast as the leader.
Permalink Reply by TOG on September 1, 2008 at 11:57am
Luckily Robbys threat for spot 35 is Hornish,and he will struggle at Richmond.
I think we are going to be ok. Luckily RG had gone back out and gotten a few points in those races where he had trouble. They are worth their weight in gold right now.
Anybody else forgetting that 44 cars have shown the past few weeks. That means that all RG would have to do is beat an underfunded 08 car and he would be set. I could see Talladega being an issue, usually draws a crowd.
Permalink Reply by TOG on September 1, 2008 at 12:38pm
Spots 31-36 are so close, that every week somebody new could fall out of the top 35. The car count has been light,so you are correct. However, showing up at Daytona in 2009 outside the top 35 would not go over well for luring the remaining sponsors.
Nevermind that RG is a horrible qualifier. If he is not in the top 35 after Homestead, he has absolutely zero chance of securing a sponsor (even Jim Beam) for 2009. And there will damn sure be more than 44 cars trying to get into the 500. Add on the absolutely absurd qualifying procedures for the Daytona 500 and Robby Gordon would be almost guaranteed to be locked out. And if you miss the Daytona 500, you get another season like what Robby had in 2005, or what AJ Allmendinger has had the last two years.
Don't pretend that backing into small fields and floating around 34th to 38th in points (and finishing position in races) is going to be "okay". Its not.