Robby Gordon: "I have no idea what I'm doing next year. I'm fortunate enough that there are good rides out there available, and I think (the No. 31) is still available to me." Credit: Autostock

'Free agent' Gordon uncertain of 2005 plans

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. -- Robby Gordon said he is prepared to run his own NASCAR Nextel Cup team in 2005 should the need arise.

Richard Childress, Gordon's current car owner, didn't exactly give Gordon a vote of confidence when asked about the status of the No. 31 team. RCR announced the addition of Jeff Burton to its three-car team, with Burton driving the No. 30 car.

Gordon said his contract is up after this season and doesn't know what will happen for 2005.

Robby Gordon

"I had my own IndyCar team at Indy," Gordon said after practice and qualifying was canceled Friday at Watkins Glen International. "We were the best Chevrolet team there, so there's no reason we can't do a Cup car if that's what we needed to do. We'll see what happens here in the next few weeks, see what happens with sponsors and ride opportunities.

"I've enjoyed working for Richard. I've had a lot of fun doing it. As of right now, I plan on continuing doing that next year."

Childress, however, was non-committal about Gordon.

"Robby and I have been talking," Childress said. "What we're going to do in October is announce everything with RCR, even our Busch cars. Like we've been talking, it takes one domino to fall and that's going to put everything else in play at RCR. The dominos fell. We got that thing rolling."

But is Gordon the next domino to fall?

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"Robby and I are constantly talking," Childress said. "As a matter of fact, we're going to talk again sometime today or this evening or something. Robby Gordon is great racecar driver. He's a lot of fun to be around. Right now he's an RCR driver, and we're going to see what's up for next year."

Gordon said he considers himself a "free agent," and that means he still could return to RCR.

"I have no deal," Gordon said. "There are rides out there, obviously."

Gordon doesn't want to wait too long, he said, before deciding on what to do -- especially if he needs to start a Cup team. Gordon currently owns a Busch Series team and wants to expand that to a two-car effort for 2005, one for a full-time driver and one for himself for 24 races.

But if a Cup ride isn't available, Gordon said he would "definitely need to run two Busch cars." And maybe a Cup car, too.

Gordon runs his own car -- the No. 55 -- in the Busch Series. Credit: Autostock

"It needs to happen in the next 30 to 45 days," Gordon said. "When you start with a new race team, you don't bring new people who have never competed in this sport before. You go out and you find the best guys from someone else's team and allow them to do their jobs."

The biggest issue facing a start-up team would be sponsorship. Gordon co-owned his own Cup team in 2000, posting a best finish of fourth at Watkins Glen.

"When I came here, my biggest problem was financial, just having enough money to be competitive," Gordon said. "I've learned a lot on what it takes and where to spend your money and what's important and what's not important, especially working for a team like this.

"I would say if we do that again, we'd definitely have a lot more knowledge. But I don't know what I'm doing, honestly. I have no idea what I'm doing next year. I'm fortunate enough that there are good rides out there available, and I think this ride is still available to me."

"I think we're supposed to talk this weekend. I don't know. I like Richard. I've enjoyed working for him, and we have a good relationship."