Known as one of motorsports' true journeyman, Robby Gordon will spend the week leading into NASCAR's final event of the 2006 season putting that moniker to the test when he participates in the legendary Baja 1000, the sixth and final race of the 2006 SCORE Desert Series season.
A former two-time winner of the event, Gordon will once again attempt to reclaim one of racing's most coveted titles. Driving his No. 83 Red Bull/Toyo Tires-sponsored Chevy CK1500 Trophy Truck, Gordon will make the trek through the Baja peninsula for the majority of the race before turning over the helm to 19-year old phenom, Andy McMillin.
“We do this twice per year and it's definitely a big logistical challenge,” said the 37-year-old driver/owner. “The Baja 500 is a little tougher since it's on a Saturday and we travel back-and-forth from Ensenada to Dover to qualify my Cup car, but that doesn't take away from the fact that the Baja 1000 is still a very long race and it takes a lot of pre-running to cover it all. We started pre-running about two weeks ago to get a handle on the terrain.” This year's course will run from Ensenada straight to La Paz, just over 1,000 miles away.
Departing immediately after last weekend's Nextel Cup event in Phoenix, Gordon flew to Ensenada, Mexico to begin practising in his 800-horsepower unlimited production Trophy Truck. Reaching speeds of up to 140 miles per hour on the sometimes daunting terrain, Gordon is able to learn the varied landscape and prepare for the obstacles that it has to offer.
Gordon also pre-ran in his purpose-built Toyo Tires-sponsored HUMMER H3, using the opportunity to gain further test miles on the vehicle which is set to compete this upcoming January in the world's most gruelling off-road race, the Dakar Rally.
Scheduled to drive 750 miles of the over 1,050.83-mile course, Gordon will board a plane and make the 2,200-mile cross-country trip to Miami, Florida, where he will compete in the 36th and final race of the 2006 NASCAR Nextel Cup season, the Ford 400 at the 1.5-mile Miami-Homestead Speedway.
Gordon and co-driver Greg Till, along with 38 other competitors in the Trophy Truck class, will set their sights on the start Thursday at 10:30 a.m. PST.
“We start after the motorcycles and a few other classes Thursday morning so we'll have a lot of dust to deal with as we try and get to the front. Quick pit stops are definitely going to be the key this year so we have a shot at getting out in front of the dust.
“We have a legitimate shot at winning every off-road race we enter. The guys at the shop in California always work hard getting this truck prepared. I have the utmost confidence in Andy and hopefully we both can stand on the podium this week.”
