Robby Gordon needs to be the subsequent Indycar racer in Formulation 1. He’s on his approach to the highest. His first automobile race was within the Daytona 24 Hours sportscar race and his first single-seater begin was in an Indycar. However in between, he destroyed Formulation 3000 and Winston Cup machines.
I first got here throughout Robby Gordon on the 1991 Daytona 500, the place the mercurial teenager was making his Winston Cup debut. He was the person of the second. Throughout observe I requested Gordon Kirby, our US correspondent, how he rated Robby. Earlier than Kirby had time to complete, there was a powerful ‘thump’ from the route of the monitor.
“Now we have a automobile within the wall at Flip four,” introduced the PA commentator. “It’s the quantity 90 Publix Ford of Robby Gordon…”
Two years on, Gordon’s temporary and disastrous flirtation with NASCAR has lengthy been forgotten. Fading too is the reminiscence of an F3000 take a look at which ended with a heavy encounter with the barrier.
At 24, Gordon is on monitor for the highest. His progress in Indycars since his debut final yr has been astonishing, topped by a superb efficiency at Surfers’ Paradise which noticed him share the podium with the 1972 and 1992 Formulation 1 world champions. However then he let himself down by crashing at Phoenix and tangling with Eddie Cheever at Lengthy Seashore.
His kind could also be erratic, however Robby is a star for the longer term. He has a pure expertise, however typically his boundless confidence has been too nice for even his automobile management. His philosophy has at all times been ‘win or bust…’
Gordon’s background is on the earth of off-road racing, a speciality of his native California whose graduates embrace Rick Mears. However even earlier than that, he competed in motocross.
“I raced motocross bikes from once I was eight years previous,” he remembers. “I gained two mini-cycle championships, after which I raced 125s, and gained a Professional-Am title once I was 15. However I received damage twice. I broke a wrist after which a collarbone. It’s a must to fly up to now, and if you happen to can’t do the double jumps, you would possibly as properly keep at residence. And I’d seen a few my pals get paralysed. When you’ve seen a few buddies get damage actual dangerous, you’re feeling it’s time to get out. I felt it was time to maneuver on.
Gordon really caught the attention when he made his IMSA bow in 1990
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“My dad raced off-road automobiles, so I did a season with him, once I was 16. We gained the championship the primary yr.”
From 1985-89 the teenage Gordon gained a number of titles in off-road marathons and Mickey Thompson stadium dash occasions, and shortly earned works Ford assist. He gained the Baja 1000 with a 17-hour solo drive, and at one stage was driving for Ford within the deserts and Toyota within the stadiums. Compelled to resolve between Toyota and Ford, Gordon selected the latter. A clever determination. Ford motorsport supremo Mike Kranefuss took the lad underneath his wing, and has been a fairy godmother ever since.
Steering him in the direction of circuit racing, Kranefuss requested Robby to check a Roush Mustang at Sebring. The story goes that Gordon needed to take an costly cab journey from Orlando Airport, as a result of at 20 he was too younger to hire a automobile…He was fast, and was signed up for Roush’s works Ford IMSA GTS staff for 1990.
Simply turned 21, he made his debut at Daytona – and gained the category. Like Roush graduate Scott Pruett, Gordon obtained a great grounding within the aggressive ‘silhouette’ collection, studying his method round highway and road programs. Three different wins took him to second within the title battle, though he fell off just a few occasions. Individuals began to be aware of this brash and cocky teenager, who appeared to don’t have any bother adapting from filth to the circuits. With Kranefuss behind him, something was attainable.
“Nige’s an excellent man. I believe he is shocked a number of People with how pleasant he’s. I suppose he in all probability did not even know who I used to be, not to mention assume that I would give him a run for the pole at Surfers'” Robby Gordon
That summer season Mike and Eddie Jordan organized for him to check a GA Motorsport F3000 automobile at Snetterton. It was his first outing in a single-seater, and he settled in shortly. At the moment Robby’s burning need was to make it to Formulation 1, and he professed little interest in Indycars.
Subsequent step was inventory automobile racing. As normal Robby tailored properly: on the finish of 1990 he did an ARCA race supporting the Winston Cup finale at Atlance, and took a shock pole. Within the race he led… and crashed.
For 1991, Kranefuss directed Robby to the Winston Cup with Junie Donlavey’s lengthy established however unsuccessful Ford staff. He impressed throughout Daytona testing, and was fourth quickest via the winter. Then he worn out a automobile in observe for the 500. The Winston Cup regulars smiled knowingly. One other useful lesson…
“You’ll be able to’t decelerate,” he informed me that afternoon. “If you happen to decelerate, no person recognises you. No less than if you happen to’re going quick, individuals know who you’re. I wish to break into that elite group of drivers.”
Within the 500 itself he was taken out in a late accident involving Richard Petty, and after another disappointing outing, the deliberate 18-race NASCAR deal was ditched. Robby focused on IMSA GTS for the remainder of 1991, alternately successful and crashing.
An thrilling character, Gordon had the pace however tendency to crash to match
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In July that yr Kranefuss took his protégé to the British Grand Prix to introduce him to influential individuals. Later in the summertime Robby had a second go in an F3000 automobile, this time a Paul Stewart Racing Lola. However after just some erratic laps of the Le Mans Bugatti circuit he backed in arduous into the wall on the Dunlop chicane, neatly eradicating the gearbox. The automobile was written off, and so was Robby Gordon’s repute…
“I’d by no means pushed on rumble strips earlier than. Within the first nook I touched my proper aspect tyres on the rumble strip, and it pulled the automobile to the suitable. However I needed to go left…I’m nonetheless actually bummed out about that.”
Plans for Gordon to do F3000 have been quietly deserted, however one other alternative arose. Ford was returning to Indycars, and Robby’s earlier lack of curiosity within the collection was forgotten. Kranefuss steered Robby for Chip Ganassi’s second Lola for 1992; the staff simply occurred to have the Ford engine.
Gordon examined on the Phoenix oval in December 1991. He hadn’t pushed an Indycar earlier than, and Kranefuss will need to have had fingers crossed. However Robby didn’t let him down this time. He didn’t shunt, impressed the staff, and was signed to run some highway races.
Gordon shocked many individuals with sturdy showings in a seven-race programme. There have been spins and some brushes with road circuit partitions as he sought the restrict, however he was fast, usually faster than team-mate Cheever, and nobody may fault his willpower.
“The primary yr in Indycars went actual properly. Within the final couple of races we have been qualifying within the high 10, and as quickly because the race received going we have been operating within the high 5. We should always have had a podium end at Vancouver.”
Gordon was struggling to discover a journey for 1993, however Ford got here via as soon as once more, an engine deal enabling him to staff up with AJ Foyt. AJ had a repute for chewing up and spitting out younger drivers; you do issues his method, or else. However a minimum of Robby has the companies of Kenny Anderson, the previous F1 engineer he met at Ganassi.
“I used to be lucky sufficient to maintain Kenny, as I labored properly with him at Ganassi. I don’t assume Foyt’s ever had an engineer earlier than. Surfers’ Paradise was dynamite. We have been very quick there. I believe I used to be quickest in each observe, aside from qualifying itself. I ended up fourth, however that was all of the ’92 automobile had. Possibly another person may have gotten it round slightly higher, however that’s all I may do.”
Within the race Robby battled with Fittipaldi and Mansell, and ended up third. AJ himself was not there to see it, preferring to skip the Aussie journey. He was at Phoenix nonetheless, the place Gordon had a serious crash.
A self-confessed rookie mistake ended Gordon’s race at Phoenix
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“We have been quick at Phoenix, and I believe we may have gained the race if we’d hung in slightly longer. On the time I believe I used to be two laps forward of Mario, and he ended up successful. It was only a rookie mistake. I got here in behind two automobiles, went excessive, after which I attempted to cross beneath on the backside of Turns 1 and a couple of. I misplaced the air, the automobile received gentle, and went into the wall. It’s the one actual shunt I’ve ever had in an Indycar. It didn’t damage, and I’m not afraid of it.”
Two weeks later he was within the wars at Lengthy Seashore, tangling not as soon as however twice with Cheever. Gordon was caught behind for 20 laps, and when he received by, Eddie tapped him and gave him a puncture. The second collision appeared like an unsubtle revenge assault by Robby, as the 2 former team-mates should not the perfect of friends. Had he misplaced his mood?
“Effectively, there’s a few totally different instances. Yeah, I used to be actually pissed off with him, however within the meantime once I got here into the pits they spilt gas on the again of the automobile, and the rear brake strains received burned off. Sincere, no bullshit!
“I misplaced my rear brakes utterly, and this was the primary lap popping out of the pits after the flat tyre. I used to be kinda cruising round, attempting to get out of the way in which. I needed to get again over the make the flip, and Cheever wouldn’t let me over. We didn’t contact that onerous. I like Lengthy Seashore, however I couldn’t wait to get out of that place…”
“I am positively concerned with F1, and I would love to do it some day, with the suitable staff and the suitable engineers. With Indycars, you’ll be able to keep there and be glad, or you’ll be able to undergo there and be glad” Robby Gordon
To this point Gordon is getting on properly with Mansell, and the world champion praised the teenager after Surfers’.
“Nige’s an excellent man. I believe he’s shocked a number of People with how pleasant he’s. I suppose he in all probability didn’t even know who I used to be, not to mention assume that I’d give him a run for the pole at Surfers. He’s a tricky driver, and he drives like Cheever or the opposite F1 guys. He was introduced as much as block. If you happen to can’t run with the man, block him. However he provides good competitors to our collection. It brings the extent of drivers up. If you wish to cross, you need to work for it.”
Mansell’s presence in Indycars has helped to offer Gordon’s title worldwide publicity, and he nonetheless needs to make it to F1.
“Right here’s the deal. I’m positively concerned with F1, and I’d love to do it some day, with the suitable staff and the suitable engineers. I’ve to sit down down and have a look at the place I wish to find yourself in the long term. With Indycars, you’ll be able to keep there and be glad, or you’ll be able to undergo there and be glad.”
Gordon picked up a rivalry with Cheever however discovered a good friend in Mansell
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Can Ford assist him into F1?
“Ford may also help me, however I believe I may also help myself. I’d say good finishes are going to get you to F1. In racing you’ve received to be in the suitable place on the proper time to get a great journey, like Michael Andretti was.
“I want Michael the perfect of luck. I hope he will get his stuff collectively, as a result of the higher he does the better it’s going to be for the subsequent American. I don’t know if I’m going to be the subsequent, however I’d prefer to be. I believe he’s getting in deeper and deeper. I do know what it’s like, as I’ve been there myself…”
Now it’s Indianapolis. It’s Gordon’s first go to, and certainly his first Indycar race on a superspeedway. But it surely’s up to now, so good, Robby being second quickest in final week’s rookie exams. There’s additionally the added strain of representing Foyt, though AJ himself is planning to ‘unretire’.
“I can’t wait. It’s going to be a number of enjoyable: my first Indy 500, and going there with AJ. I’m constructive he’s driving as properly, however I’ll nonetheless have Kenny, all my guys, and the ’93 automobile. I don’t know why he entered 5 automobiles; all I do know of are two ‘93s and an up to date ’92.
“I believe Nigel and I are in the identical place; leaping in on the deep finish with each toes…”
What occurred subsequent?
A swap to Formulation 1 by no means got here for Gordon, whose early single-seater promise by no means translated right into a sustained Indycar title problem.
Gordon led two laps on his Indy 500 debut, however retired on account of gearbox issues with 35 laps to go. His 1993 season peaked with second at Mid-Ohio to Fittipaldi and a swap to Walker Racing adopted for 1994.
Gordon impressed in CART however by no means really hit the heights his early promise hinted at
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Gordon took a brace of pole positions on Canadian road tracks at Toronto and Vancouver, however needed to wait till 1995 for his first victory at Phoenix, a end result he matched from pole at Detroit. His title problem petered out thereafter, however there remained hope for the longer term. Nonetheless, his fifth within the standings would show to be the height of Gordon’s open-wheel profession.
The 1996 marketing campaign was a bitter disappointment as he managed solely a single podium end within the Miami season opener. Relations with Ford took a bitter flip as he publically criticised the reliability of its engines. He by no means gained once more in single-seaters – managing a finest end of eighth when he ran his personal staff in 1999 with ineffective Toyota powerplants, flitting between Swift and Eagle chassis.
He was nonetheless unlucky to not win the 1999 Indy 500, by then a spherical of the breakaway Indy Racing League. His Menard entry ran out of gas whereas main with two laps to go, handing victory to Kenny Brack. Essentially the most temporary of splash and sprint stops dropped him to fourth, whereas he additionally led the opening 22 laps after qualifying on the entrance row in 2001.
Gordon continued to make annual Indy 500 appearances till 2004 after turning into a NASCAR common in 2000. He took three Cup Collection wins, two on highway programs, with Richard Childress Racing earlier than success dried up when he joined his personal staff in 2005. Though at all times a contender on highway programs, no extra wins adopted as he switched from Chevrolet to Ford, then Dodge and Toyota in as many seasons.
Gordon’s final NASCAR Cup outing got here in 2012, and he has since centered on his Stadium Tremendous Truck collection by which he has gained two titles. In 11 makes an attempt on the Dakar Rally, he managed a finest end of third in 2009.
Gordon led till the closing levels of the 1999 Indy 500 earlier than having to duck into the pits for gas
Photograph by: Motorsport Images
