Robby Gordon Mailbag: The perfect teammate

Robby, I've been following your career since the early nineties before you raced in CART. My question is when do you plan to make an announcement about your 2004 Indianapolis 500 plans? Gas on! - Todd J. Burnworth, Huntington, IN

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I plan to announce it within the next 30 days. That way, we can get our double-duty tour all put together in plenty of time.

Hi, Robby. I want to say that you are looking good this year. Hope you will be able to finish the year in the top ten. The awards banquet would be much more interesting if you were there. Robby, you seemed very excited to have Steve Park as a teammate when he signed with RCR in May. What are your feelings about Richard letting him go after 2003? --Dianna, Springfield, Ohio

I do not think the performance is based 100-percent on Steve Park. That team has been struggling for a while with two different guys. But, a lot of it is about chemistry, too, and they haven't found the perfect fit yet. I wish Steve the best of luck. He is a great guy and I would like to see him do well.

Hey Robby, I have attended many races from Daytona in February to Martinsville in October. My question is it seems like there are so many more drivers signing autographs at Daytona in February than there are in October at Martinsville. Why? Are you guys just getting tired of the fans by that point or do you actually have more sponsor duties? And by the way will you be signing at Martinsville in a couple of weeks? I'm driving from Florida and would love to meet you and get an autograph. Thanks and great racing! --Sue Sullivan, Branford, Florida

I am not sure about the other guys, but I try to make it out to my merchandise trailer every weekend we race, including Martinsville. When you get to Martinsville, stop by my merchandise trailer for actual times, but I usually try to make it out there after Friday qualifying, post happy hour Saturday and early Sunday morning prior to race time. I know I can speak for all drivers in saying we are definitely not tired of the fans. It really comes down to what a driver has going on that particular weekend and having time to get it all done.

Hi Robby! I have become a huge fan this season! I have to say with complete sincerity that you are probably the most fan-friendly driver out there and we appreciate that! My question is hypothetical -- if you could pick one NASCAR driver, past or present, living or deceased to be a teammate at RCR, who would that be and why? Keep up the great work. Hope to see you on the stage in New York! --Christa

That is a tough one. But, it would have to be the late Dale Earnhardt, Sr. I know I could have learned a lot from him and it just would have been a lot of fun, as well as an honor.

Do all the Cup cars at RCR utilize the same equipment and setup information when they are built or is there any "one car gets more attention than the other cars" like other drivers of multi-car teams have alluded to in the past? -- Eric Peurala, Acworth, GA

Kevin Harvick, Steve Park and I sit down with our crew chiefs to decide which car we would like to take to each track and we each have different preferences toward car set-ups, but one team doesn't get a better engine or equipment than another team, at least not at Richard Childress Racing. The difference comes down to driver handling preferences and individual team strategy and preferred way of getting the job done. When it comes to how other multi-team owners handle things, I really do not know. But I can assure you that all of the RCR teams have the same equipment.

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.