Robby Gordon will start 33rd on Sunday at Texas. Credit: Autostock

Conservative run puts surging Gordon in show

After strong practice, veteran knew he had to take it easy at Texas

FORT WORTH, Texas -- Imagine a driver battling to stay on the lead lap. Only he doesn't have the motor to keep ahead. His car won't handle. And it's only Lap 11.

Robby Gordon has felt like this all year long, but there is a light at the end of the infield tunnel. It's still a dim light, but things got considerably better at Texas.

	Credit: Autostock
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Gordon's No. 7 Chevrolet unloaded off the truck handling as well as it has all season. He was a respectable 18th in practice, and he drove a conservative lap during qualifying, ending up 33rd.

But he'll take it. Gordon, trying to defy the odds as a 21st-century driver-owner in the Nextel Cup Series, can't drive the car as hard as he wants on Fridays.

It is already hard to make the field when your team is 39th in owners points. Throw in a hot track with a real possibility of crashing, and it becomes gut-check time.

Gordon had to take it easy in qualifying. He had no choice. Two drivers -- Mike Bliss and Matt Kenseth -- slipped in qualifying.

Bliss slapped the fence, and Kenseth nearly met the same fate. The track was easily 15 degrees hotter during qualifying, and Gordon didn't have the option of being aggressive.

"I am in a real bad situation because we were really good in practice, and if I go and try to be any better and mess up and get sideways, we go home," Gordon said.

Going home is something that has already happened to Gordon twice this season, including the season-opening Daytona 500, which would have guaranteed a payday of at least $250,000.

Missing Texas would have cost Gordon at least $100,000 in purses, which would have been tough to swallow. Gordon hasn't even had the luxury of cashing a six-figure check in 2005.

"You can't mess up. You can't take a shot at qualifying really good," Gordon said. "You have got to be conservative."

Gordon can now spend Saturday working on race trim, since Texas is not an impound event.

Surprisingly, Gordon says he likes events that use the impound rule.

"I actually like the impounding deal. I am good with the impounding program," Gordon said. "We know what went wrong at Bristol and how we missed it there.

"We are a lot better now."