Cingular
Wireless Racing
Weekly Racing Journal
Race/Date:
Old Dominion
500
Location:
Martinsville
(Va.) Speedway
Start Position:
12th
Finish Position:
23rd
Points Position:
20th
Race Recap:
Track position has been a key factor in most
of the NASCAR Winston Cup races this season and Sunday’s Old
Dominion 500 at Martinsville Speedway was no different. Unfortunately,
Robby Gordon and the No. 31 Cingular Wireless Chevrolet team saw
how track position works for and against a team Sunday in the 500-lap
race.
The Cingular Wireless Chevrolet handled well
from the start of the race and Gordon put it in the eighth position
by lap 43. Knowing that tire wear was going to be a factor on the
newly grooved race track, Team Cingular pitted under caution on
lap 44 for four tires, fuel and air pressure adjustments to loosen
up the car’s handling. Not all teams pitted and some took only
two tires, so Gordon returned to the race track in the 12th spot.
Crew chief Kevin Hamlin’s four-tire call was a good one because
Gordon soon maneuvered through the field and claimed the fifth position
by lap 77. The team pitted again for four tires and fuel on lap
102. Quick work in the pits gained Gordon two spots and returned
him to racing in the fourth spot.
The Cingular Wireless machine continued to be strong and posted
some of the fastest laps on the track. Gordon put it in the third
position by lap 111 and held the second spot by lap 158. The tables
turned on Team Cingular on lap 207, though, when Gordon followed
leader Tony Stewart into the pits under caution. Very few teams
pitted and Gordon was 19th when the restart was given. Mired
back in heavy traffic, the Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet began
handling tightly. Gordon struggled to find a good line for the car
and fell as far back as 32nd. But the team continued to work on
the set-up and improved the car. Excellent pit stops and pit strategy
helped Gordon work his way back through the pack in the closing
laps but he had lost too much track position to contend for the
win. Gordon crossed the finish line in the 23rd position.
Robby Gordon Quotes:
"Track position was everything today. We were a
little concerned about what the tire situation would be like after
the track surface was grooved. So, we took four tires each time
we pitted. The Cingular Wireless car was absolutely awesome the
first 200 laps. I didn’t have to drive it very hard and concentrated
on running a good line but saving my car for the end of the race.
But we made a bad decision and pitted with Tony Stewart under caution,
thinking that everyone else would also pit. But they didn’t
and we ended up midway back in the field. The car didn’t like
running behind other cars in heavy traffic and we struggled with
it the rest of the race. We did manage a decent finish, though,
but it wasn’t what we thought we were capable of.”
|