Robby Gordon runs well, but expects penalty

By Bob Pockrass - Associate Editor

Monday, February 18, 2008

DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 09: Robby Gordon, driver of the #7 Jim Beam Dodge, sits in his car during practice for the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 9, 2008 in Daytona, Florida. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images for NASCAR)

Ronald Martinez
Getty Images for NASCAR

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Robby Gordon completed a successful first race weekend with Dodge as he finished eighth in the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway.

Just a little more than two weeks after announcing a technical and marketing partnership with Gillett Evernham Motorsports, Gordon could smile as he believed he did the right thing in the move, which forced him to change his fleet from Fords to Dodges.

“My car was good,” Gordon said. “I was just surviving and trying not to put myself in position to tear my car up until about the last 40 laps.”

Gordon followed three other Dodge drivers as the manufacturer took spots fifth through eighth as well as the top two positions. He was 10th on the restart with three laps remaining.

“They said we were going to run the high line, and I have to be honest with you, I was good enough with a 10th-place finish that time,” Gordon said. “I didn’t think we were going to go from 10th to first after the restart. We moved up a couple spots which is not bad and we were beating and banging pretty hard.”

The Daytona 500 experience wasn’t totally a success for the NASCAR Sprint Cup driver, though. Gordon is expecting a penalty for presenting a car with an unapproved nose for inspection prior to Daytona 500 practice Feb. 9. In the chaos of converting his fleet, he received the wrong nose from a Dodge supplier. He ended up having to cut off the front of his car and replace the nose. “[The 500] is definitely a good start,” Gordon said. “Now we just have to see how many points we’re going to get taken away from us. At least we got a good baseline before they start taking them.”