Robby Gordon to Start 31st in Sunday’s Daytona 500

Daytona Beach, Fla. (February 12, 2009) – Robby Gordon and his No. 7 Jim Beam Toyota started 20th in today’s first 150-mile qualifying race, which determined the starting line-up for the Daytona 500. Gordon finished the 60-lap event in 22nd, which means that he will start Sunday’s Daytona 500 from the 31st position.

Gordon and team had a strategy for today’s race and that was to be conservative and cautious. More than anything, they wanted to save the No. 7 Jim Beam Toyota for Sunday’s 200-lap event. They believe that the car will be very extremely competitive and look to continue Gordon’s recent string of impressive restrictor-plate finishes.

Early in the race, Gordon was working his way toward the front when Kurt Busch wrecked on Lap 4. At that point, Gordon radioed to his crew, “Let’s go back to our strategy, I am going to come down pit lane and then ride around in the back until the end.”

That is just what Gordon did. The strategy paid off as he made his way up to sixth place only laps before the end of the race. Unfortunately, Gordon had to bring the No. 7 Jim Beam Toyota to pit lane on the last lap when he experienced a problem with the left front wheel, resulting in his 22nd place finish.

“I think that we just showed what our car is capable of doing in the draft today, which I hope is a good sign for Sunday’s race. It is unfortunate that we had a problem with wheel bearing, but it is better that it happened today than Sunday,” commented Gordon on today’s qualifying race.

“I think that you are going to see a lot of guys just riding around on Sunday, which is what we are going to do. We are going to save our car until the end when it really matters. I can promise you that it will get exciting at the end when everyone races for the coveted Daytona 500 title,” concluded the driver of the No. 7 Jim Beam Toyota.

NOTES

Daytona International Speedway

· In 18 starts, Gordon has completed 2,965 of 3,196 laps, a total of 92.8%. He owns an average starting spot of 23 and an average finish of 19.4. He also has had three top-ten finishes.



2008 Restrictor-Plate Highlights

· Gordon had three top-ten restrictor-plate finishes in 2008.

- Daytona 500 – 8th

- Talladega 1 – 11th

- Daytona 2 – 6th

- Talladega 2 – 8th

· Gordon finished 2nd in the 2008 restrictor-plate points.

· Gordon’s best finish of the year was at Daytona on July 5th.



Career

- Gordon owns three NASCAR Sprint Cup victories:

- Loudon on Nov. 23, 2001

- Infineon on June 22, 2003

- Watkins Glen on Aug. 10, 2003

· Gordon owns one NASCAR Nationwide Series victory at Richmond on Sept. 10, 2004.

· Gordon’s first involvement with Toyota dates back to 1989 when he became the youngest grand national sport truck driver to win a championship in a TRD-powered Toyota truck.

· The 2009 Sprint Cup Series Season marks Gordon’s 5th season as a driver-owner.