NASCAR Winston Cup Pepsi 400 Race Report -- #40 Robby Gordon
8 July 1997
#40 Robby Gordon, Coors Light Chevrolet Monte Carlo NASCAR Winston Cup Series Pepsi 400 Race Report Daytona International Speedway LATE FENDER BENDER STEALS TOP-10 FROM GORDON COORS LIGHT CHEVROLET SHOWS MUSCLE AT DAYTONA DAYTONA BEACH, FL - Coors Light driver Robby Gordon nearly dodged all the bullets during Saturday's running of the Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway - except the one that just glanced off of him. That was all it took to take a sure top-10 finish away from the driver who had muscled the Coors Light No. 40 Team SABCO Chevrolet to as high as 6th during the 160-lap event. During Friday's first-round qualifying, Gordon earned the 26th starting position. In the race he was able to drive to as high as 6th early on due in-part to fast pit stops and some key drafting help (drafting help eluded the rookie driver during the season-opening Daytona 500 on the same 2.5-mile high-banked superspeedway). With just five laps remaining, Gordon, who was fluctuating between the 8th and 15th swapping position after position in a tight draft, was sideswiped by a spinning Ricky Rudd. Rudd went to the wall after being tagged from behind by Michael Waltrip. Television replays showed the Coors Light Chevrolet escaping virtually unscathed and narrowly missing the pileup. But Rudd's car evidently inflicted a double jolt to the No. 40 car: A caved in passenger-side body panel and flat tire. It looked as though the race would end under caution. Gordon, locked in at his position, was to stay out and finish the race with the flat tire, even at the slow pace-lap speed. But NASCAR clean-up crews had the track clear enough to create a one-lap shootout to green-flag the race on lap 159. As the signal was given for one more (pace lap) to go, Gordon headed for the pits for the new rubber. For the restart, he had to start in the rear of the field at the tail end of the lead lap (24th position). As the field screamed through the high banks for the one-lap dash, mayhem broke loose up near the front as Mark Martin, Dick Trickle and Ward Burton began a chain-reaction wreck that collected at least eight cars. Going to the rear of the lead lap may have been a blessing as Gordon was able to gain three positions and completely avoid the mess, finishing 22nd. "We really had a great car for a lot of the race," Gordon said. "The Fords were strong and it took a lot of drafting help and great moves by other Chevy drivers to finish up front. A top-10 was there for us today. I saw it happening until I got caught up in that deal with Rudd. Mike Hillman and the guys really gave me a good car and lightning-fast pit stops. They deserve credit too because they worked so hard all weekend long in this heat. On one of those pit stops I got blocked in by another car and had to back up in order to get myself out. That cost us a bunch of track position and we'd have earned a lot of spots on that one. But we'll go get 'em next weekend for sure." By Team SABCO Public Relations