Both
races end early for Robby Gordon
BROKEN PART, RAIN MAR DRIVER’S BUSY DAY
By Jenna Fryer
Associated Press
Robby
Gordon thought he had cars good enough to win two races Sunday.
A broken part and rain ruined his bid.Gordon was knocked out of
the Indianapolis 500 late in the race when the gear box in his car
broke as he left pit road, and he finished 22nd.
It did allow Gordon to get an early start on
his trip to the Coca-Cola 600 in Concord, N.C.: He already was on
the plane eating turkey sandwiches when Gil de Ferran took the checkered
flag at Indy.
Gordon’s car was strong in the Winston Cup race,
but he was in 17th place when it was called off because of rain
after 276 laps.
Gordon’s attempt to run 1,100 miles in one day
ended up falling short at 824.
“We were easily as good as anybody else out
there,” Gordon said of Indy. “The gears worked fine from first
to second, but from second to third it broke the gear box.”
It was one of many hitches in Gordon’s day. Midway
through the NASCAR race, he and teammate Kevin Harvick banged cars
as Harvick tried to pass him. The contact probably caused a flat
left tire that prompted Harvick to pit.
“Why does” Gordon “have to be the hardest
car on the track to pit?” Harvick complained over his radio.
“Kevin, don’t worry about it. We’ll talk about
it tomorrow,” car owner Richard Childress responded.
Gordon’s
day got off to a poor start when his police escort never arrived
at the hotel and he had to navigate his own way to the track. He
jumped onto the tail of another caravan that did have an escort
and arrived at the track seemingly relaxed as he snacked on a granola
bar.
“I feel good. Real good,” Gordon said
as he walked along the racetrack to his car. “It’s going to be
a great day.”
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