Robby Gordon Motorsports
| Owner(s) | Robby Gordon |
|---|---|
| Base | Charlotte, North Carolina |
| Series | Sprint Cup Series |
| Race drivers | Robby Gordon Scott Wimmer P.J. Jones |
| Sponsors | Speed Energy |
| Manufacturer | Dodge |
| Career | |
| Debut | 2004 Hershey's Kisses 300 |
| Latest race | 2010 Ford 400 |
| Races competed | 291 |
| Drivers' Championships | 0 |
| Race victories | 3 |
| Pole positions | 1 |
Robby Gordon Motorsports is a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team. It fields the #7 Speed Energy Dodge Charger for Robby Gordon. It is based in Charlotte, North Carolina, and is owned by Gordon and heavily supported by John Menard, Jr.
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[edit] Nascar History
[edit] 2005
Gordon purchased the defunct Ultra Motorsports for the 2005 season with Menard as a business partner and former owner Jim Smith being listed as owner for provisional points. In 2005, Menard built engines for RGM with little success, as the engines were prone to failure. This led RGM to switch engine suppliers and lease from Dale Earnhardt, Inc. Jim Smith also left the team after pulling his own Ultra Motorsports out of NASCAR completely.
[edit] 2006-2007
In October 2006, Robby Gordon Motorsports signed with Ford Racing, running the Ford Fusion in 2007. The car was sponsored by Jim Beam, Mapei, Camping World, and Monster Energy Drink. RGM used Roush/Yates engines.
[edit] 2008
During the preseason testing prior to the 2008 Daytona 500, RGM switched to the Dodge Charger, using Evernham engines. However, due to the sudden switch, GEM could only give Gordon a Dodge Charger nose for testing. Gordon received the correct nose, a Dodge Avenger nose with Charger decals, before the Daytona 500, and finished 8th at Daytona. However, he received a 100 point penalty from NASCAR along with a $100,000 fine. Many fans and sponsor Jim Beam started a "Rally for Robby" campaign, protesting the penalty, although it was standard in most 2007 COT penalties. On March 5, the National Stock Car Racing Commission made a decision on the penalty. The championship driver and owner points were reinstated making the #7 Dodge 21st in the Sprint Cup Standings. The suspension of Frank Kerr was retracted however remained on probation, and the fine was increased to $150,000.
Late in the year, GEM and RGM were embroiled in a lawsuit, concerning a potential merger between the two organizations. The suit was eventually dropped, but in the process the partnership was dissolved and Gordon switched to Penske Racing engines.
[edit] 2009
For 2009, Gordon made another manufacturer switch, the team's fourth in as many years, and fielded Toyota's for the season. Gordon ran 35 of the 36 races, with David Gilliland running at Richmond, finishing 24th. Gordons best finish of the year came at Charlotte, where he finished 3rd. The team ended the season 34th in owners points. Sponsors included Jim Beam, Menards, Camping World, and Freightliner, among others.
A second RGM team, the #04, debuted for the first time in 2009, with P.J. Jones finishing 43rd at Infineon and 41st at Watkins Glen. David Gilliland attempted the race at Kansas, but failed to qualify for the event.
[edit] 2010
For 2010, Robby Gordon Motorsports aligned with BAM Racing and continued with Toyota. Starting with the 2010 Daytona 500, Robby Gordon Motorsports expanded its partnership with Monster Energy Drink to include sponsorship in some Sprint Cup events. RGM's alliance with BAM Racing was to allow BAM Racing's sponsor Warner Music Nashville to sponsor Robby Gordon's #7 Camry starting at California as well as the events at Atlanta and Bristol. For the first half of 2010, the team had floated in and out of the Top 35. At the 2010 Gillette Fusion ProGlide 500, the team had its first DNQ since 2005, with Ted Musgrave driving. A major penalty by another team moved the #7 back into the Top 35. The Toyota/Save Mart 350 proved to be the best race in 2010 for Robby Gordon Motorsports, Gordon finished 2nd in the race and a second RGM entry, the #07 car driven by P. J. Jones, qualified and finished 41st. Former series champion Bobby Labonte drove at New Hampshire.
Gordon stepped out of the #7 to allow Kevin Conway to drive. Conway, a NASCAR Sprint Cup Rookie of the Year contender, having been released from his ride at Front Row Motorsports, brought his sponsor ExtenZe with him. Conway drove the locked-in #7 in the Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol while Gordon moved into the #07 that Jones was originally supposed to drive. Conway qualified 40th and finished 36th in the while Gordon qualified 37th and finished 40th. Gordon did not enter the Emory Healthcare 500 at Atlanta, fielding Conway in the #7. Conway had the slowest time of all 47 qualifiers, but due to RGM being in the top 35 in owners' points he started 42nd. Occasionally, Gordon and Conway switched between the #7 and #07 rides in order to keep the #7 team in the Top 35. Kevin Conway started and parked in 5 out of the 7 races he ran with the team, with his only full race coming at Fontana, resulting in a 31st place finish. The #7 team finished 32nd in 2010 owner's points. It was later announced following the season that RGM would sue ExtenZe for lack of payment, much like Conway's former team, Front Row Motorsports, had done.
[edit] 2011
Gordon will return to the series in 2011, though he will only drive 15 races. Gordon will change manufacturers once again, this time returning to Dodge and promoting his own energy drink, Speed Energy. Gordon has enough funding through the end of April.
[edit] Sources
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