Robby Gordon Mailbag: Getting consistent

Based upon your current level of experience in Winston Cup, what area have you improved upon the most? What area do you think you need to make the most improvements?

-- Jeff Adkins, Bend, Ore.

ROBBY GORDON  •  Driver Page  •  2003 Season Stats  •  Insider's View  •  Video Highlights  •  Driver vs. Driver

We've made the most improvements in our consistency on the Cingular Wireless team, accepting how good our car is and working with what we've got.

If we don't have a car that can win the race, I've learned to take the best finish possible. I made that mistake many times before, as have a lot of young drivers. As far as improvement is concerned, our qualifying effort as a whole needs the most improvement.

That will help our overall performance because we'll be starting closer to the front of the field. When you qualify in the 20th position, the chances of getting lapped or wrecked come a lot earlier than if you had qualified up front. It seems like all the wrecks happen from 20th on back in the field.

Do you ever get tired of the publicity and people always chasing you down for an autograph or picture?

-- Gina Davis, Carnesville, Ga.

Absolutely not. I don't mind it one bit. I appreciate my fans and always try to take time for them. If I don't stop to sign an autograph, it's because I'm about to be late for something important.

In the eyes of a driver, what makes one crew chief better then another?

-- Tom Kribs, Caledonia, Mich.

Communication is a key factor with a good crew chief. Making the car fast and comfortable to drive is another factor. Being able to adjust the car and having those adjustments accomplish what the crew chief expects them to do is also important.

Robby, when I review the results of the race in the newspaper, it is puzzling to me how the prize money is divided. I see racers who both started higher and finished higher than other racers who are awarded less prize money. I then look to see who were the lap leaders, but the racers awarded the most money are often not lap leaders, either. Can you explain how it is determined?

-- Stephen Kratt, Alameda, Calif.

It all goes back to what you've done in the past. There is a program called Winner's Circle that awards more purse money to the drivers who have won more races more recently. It doesn't matter if last year's champion finished 20th place or lower on a given weekend -- he's probably still going to get more purse money than the guy who finished fifth but has never won a race in his career. The formula rewards performance not only that weekend but performance in the recent past.

ALSO  •  Other SI.com content

What's the big deal is on having an extra crew member go over the wall to remove a tear-off windshield sheet? In my opinion, a man could be over the wall, rip off the shield and back over the wall within three or four seconds. Why would NASCAR rule against the extra man? Watching through your windshields on television, I'm surprised that there isn't more accidents because of poor vision. What are your thoughts on this matter?

-- Julie Zimmerman, Belding, Mich.

We get an extra crew member at halfway usually, but it's not a bad idea to give us the extra guy the entire race. I don't know why NASCAR only lets us have him at that time, because all he does is service the driver. His main duties are to give the driver water or to clean the windshield.

You have raced in a variety of series over the years before coming to Winston Cup. Do you think you have to work twice as hard as a driver to gain the respect of typical NASCAR fans because of your background?

-- Dan Pearce, Richmond, Texas

I think I have to work six times harder to gain respect. Honest truth.

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.

Throughout the 2003 Winston Cup season, Gordon will answer questions from SI.com users in a weekly Mailbag.