Robby Gordon Mailbag: Fan interaction important

This isn't so much a question, as much as it is a statement. I would just like to say that you are one of the 43 reasons that NASCAR is the most popular spectator sport. This past weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway, I was checking out the souvenir trailers. Fortunately for several hundred fans (including me), you were giving your time to sign autographs. NASCAR is so popular because its drivers and crews are more accessible to the fans than any other sport. I appreciate you giving your time to autograph my FDNY die cast. Oh and by the way, despite how the media paints you sometimes, I was impressed with your hospitable attitude to all of the fans. Thanks for giving your time. Good luck the rest of the season.

	Robby Gordon said he was kidding when he said he would pay Jimmy Spencer's fine for hitting Kurt Busch. Credit: Autostock

Oh, and can you tell me how to purchase the Nike racing gear that you and many of the other drivers wear? --Jonathan Allen

Thanks very much for the nice comments and support. I love going out to my souvenir trailer to sign autographs at the track and really enjoy having the chance to meet my fans. I try to do it every single weekend at least once, depending on the track schedule and my sponsor commitments. As far as the Nike Racing gear goes, that unfortunately is not for sale anywhere. It was a deal that Nike did for the teams only and isn't available to the public.

Sorry about your luck at Bristol. I wondered if the controversy about Busch and Spencer was affecting your racing any this week. And how to you feel about the incident? Could it happen to anyone or was it just a coincidence? --Erica Hendricks

The deal between Kurt Busch and Jimmy Spencer had zero effect on my performance in the Cingular Wireless Chevrolet at Bristol. It definitely was an interesting and entertaining situation to watch but it didn't affect us as a team. Unfortunately, we just had really bad luck all night at Bristol but that's just racing.

Hi Robby! I'm a rookie NASCAR fan and recently went to my first race at Watkins Glen. I also had the chance to meet you at your vendor trailer. As I was waiting for the hour and a half I was watching a video of you and different segments of racing events that you've been in. I must say I'm very impressed, and know that you will succeed in everything you do. I must say that now I'm a rookie Robby Gordon fan! What motivates you? How do you balance your career, your private life and make it all work? I would love to hear back from you! --Robin

I guess being successful while having a good time is what motivates me. I always tell everyone to make sure they have fun no matter what. As for balancing my life, it just takes a little prioritizing. There are so many things I need to get done in a week, but I just take them one at a time and get them done. I also have a lot of good people working for me that help me keep everything straight. Racing is my number one priority but there are all kinds of sub-categories that fall under that, such as Cingular Wireless appearances and other sponsor obligations, media commitments, meeting my fans and running all the other aspects of my off-road business in California. But I try to handle all these areas of my life the best way I can and have fun at the same time.

Hey Robby, I read a quote from you regarding the most recent Jimmy Spencer/Kurt Busch altercation. It quoted you saying Kurt Busch had it coming and you would gladly pay Spencer's fine. Could you elaborate? Does this go back to last year's "Winston Open" when Busch took you out and bragged on TV that he did it to bring out a caution and bunch up the field? Keep up the great string of finishes! --Tom Przewoznik

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First of all, let me say that I was somewhat kidding by that comment. I tried to clear that up with the media Friday at Bristol. But I also think that Kurt made way too many negative comments about Jimmy in public over the past year to be surprised that Jimmy hit him. Plus, they exchanged some heated words in the garage before Jimmy hit him. Kurt made it known on his radio transmission at Michigan that he wanted to flatten Jimmy's fender, which reminds me of the Winston Open incident with Kurt and me last year.

Robby, I was a fan of yours from the beginning when you came into NASCAR on your own even before driving for Felix, wasn't a big open-wheel car fan, but would watch just to keep track of your results.

Now being tenth in points, and as you say, only a few out of ninth, and not so far out of eighth, you can't tell me that you will be satisfied with a seventh in the point standings, is it realistic that you could maybe climb to fifth? --Joe Bennett

I'd love to finish fifth in the points this year but that's probably a bit unrealistic. If we'd had a great weekend at Bristol and finished in the top five and followed that up with a couple of other top fives in the coming weeks, I might think it's somewhat realistic. But unfortunately, the Cingular team had a terrible night at Bristol and apparently we just weren't destined to finish well. We lost some ground to ninth in the points but we're still 10th. We've just got to keep digging and do everything we can to finish up front in each of the remaining races.

I was at the race in Atlanta in March 2003 and saw you signing autographs after the race. That's just something you don't see. That really impressed me and showed how much you truly care about your fans. My husband had always said that you get "no respect." You got mine 100% that day and I became an instant fan! Now that you are in the top 10 in points and have won more races, I'm sure your popularity is multiplying. Do you feel that you will be able to remain as true and accessible to your fans now that you are more popular? --Stacie

Absolutely and without a doubt. Being more successful on the racetrack or more popular doesn't change who I am or how I react to my fans. I still need my fans as much as I ever did and I will always take the time to get to know them and sign autographs for them whenever I can.

Winning races requires many things -- luck being one of them. On both of your wins this season and a great run at Richmond your car had special paint schemes. That seems to be good luck! What are your thoughts on that? And also what are your favorite personal vehicles? Keep up the great job. I'm proud to be an RCR 31 fan! --Randall Turner

The Cingular team really thought the paint schemes brought some 'good luck' until last weekend at Bristol. We had the special, orange 'reverse' paint scheme on the car and had about as much bad luck as you could imagine. But we have traditionally run well with that paint scheme, not to mention winning both road course races this year with a special paint job. So, hopefully Bristol was just an exception to the rule. My personal vehicles are a Chevrolet Suburban with my special off-road kit underneath it, a Corvette and a Lexus.

Robby Gordon drives the No. 31 Cingular Wireless Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series. Before arriving in NASCAR's top division, Gordon enjoyed success in the CART Series and off-road racing.