Robby Gordon has shrugged off his $15,000 fine and 50 point penalty following his 'padding-gate' incident at the Atlanta Motor Speedway last weekend with a solid top ten qualifying effort at Texas.

Owner-driver Gordon, who was adjudged to have intentionally caused a caution period late in proceedings last Sunday by throwing a piece of roll bar padding out of his cockpit and onto the track, ran the ninth fastest lap in Friday's Bud Pole qualifying session and will be one to watch in the early stages of the Dickies 500 on Sunday.

The Atlanta caution resulted in Gordon and his #7 team gaining a top ten finish although he will now have to behave himself over the last three races of the year after being placed on probation.

Although the points penalty drops Gordon and his eponymous team to 28th in the respective driver and owner standings he is still comfortably inside the top 35 in team points and this guaranteed a place on the grid for the first five races of the 2007 season.

Gordon backed up his qualifying effort with a pair of 23rd fastest speeds in Saturday's two practice sessions at the 1.5-mile Texas Motor Speedway.