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| | Date: Tue, 18 Aug 1998 12:51:40 -0700
From: Vicki Chapin
Subject: Where will you be in 1999?
Robby, now that it has been announced that Scott Pruett will be joining the team in 1999, what are your plans? Will you continue on with the team? It was great to see you back in open wheel racing again. Keep up the good work.
Vicki Chapin | | We are busy evaluating our plans for 1999. At this point we prefer to keep everything under wraps. Regarding returning to Arciero Wells, I exercised my option not to renew the contract for next season. Should the opportunity arise I would love to continue my relationship with Toyota. We just have to wait and see. Thanks for your support. |
| | Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1998 16:21:49 -0500
From: Robert Irvin
Subject: 1998 season and beyond
Hello Robby,
It's great to have you back in CART! I was looking for a R. Gordon souvenier trailer at Cleveland and Mid-Ohio but couldn't find one. Where can I get merchandise? Yes, I've tried e-mail to robbygordon.com but no one answers. I heard that someone drove off with the souvenier trailer at Long Beach. Is this true?
I was watching Road America qualifying and Bob Varsha said the team anounced that you will not return for 1999 with them. It sounded like a team decision - not yours. I don't understand why they would want to replace you. The ex-Hiro car never ran better! The big question is: where will you drive for 1999? I had a feeling you'd be with Cal Wells for a while. O'well....I hope you continue your CART career....Best of Luck.
Bob Irvin
P.S. I too would like to see a CART race at ROAD ATLANTA because I now live in Charlotte, NC but NASCAR doesn't do it for me! | | Merchandise was not produced this year in mass quantities because of my test driver status at the beginning of the season. If you would like please contact, Gordonrcng@aol.com and leave a note for Sandra or Marlene. They will take care of you. Regarding next year, I exercised an option I had in my contract for next season not to renew. It wasn't the case of Arciero Wells wanting to replace me, it was just something that we had to do as we look at the long term future for Robby Gordon. Sometimes in life you come across very difficult decisions, this was one of them. Cal and I started as close friends and close friends we will always be. Thanks for your thoughts. |
| | Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1998 16:22:10 -0500
From: Steve Lake
Subject: Silly Season.
With the recent announcement of Scott Pruett joining Arciero Wells for 1999, how will this affect your role on the team? | | Steve, I exercised an option I had in my contract on August 1st, not to return to the team for next season. Arciero Wells felt it was important to secure a solid replacement in Scott Pruett. I'm confident he'll do a great job for the team. I am currently evaluating my options for next season and I'll keep you posted here on Speedcenter.com.Thanks. |
| | Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1998 20:59:42 -0500
From: "David Vittorio"
Subject: Where are you next year?
Robby,
With the recent announcement of Scott P. taking your ride next year, it only begs the question of where you are going? I was very happy to see you come back to CART. You bring a sence of excitement to the series that no other driver does. I would hate to see you leave again. I only hope you got a more competive ride for next year. God's Speed.
-Dave | | It's amazing how the media can turn things around. Scott Pruett did not take my ride the way you might think. I exercise my option not to return to the team for the 1999 season, therefore it was necessary for the Team, as they plan to continue to run two cars for 1999, to find a qualified replacement. Scott Pruett is a very good talent. He's seasoned, professional, fast and a genuinely nice guy. He will go a great job for the team. We are currently evaluating our options for next season.Thanks for message. |
| | Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1998 08:18:09 EST
From: "Claude Lahaie"
Subject: Your plans
Hi Robby,
Good to see you in cart again and well done for your work on Speedcenter. My question is, what are your plans for next year?
Claude | | Everyone wants to know what's going on with Robby Gordon. Unfortunately, I can't let the cat out of the bag just yet. There will be many dominoes to fall here in the next month, I'm sure we will have something to tell you by then. |
| |  | Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1998 10:16:49 EST
From: "MULVENY_JASON"
Subject: future plans
Robby,
I'm a big fan of yours & I was disappointed to hear about Scott Pruett taking over your seat in the toyota. Obviously you must have some deals in the works & I look forward to seeing where you end up. Personally, I hope you stay in open wheelers (i.e. not NASCAR) actually I should say that I hope that you stay in the champcar series (or F1!?) because as we all know the IRL as a whole really sucks. Anyway, my question is this: There's been some talk lately of jeff gordon doing a test of the BAR/mechacrome F1 car in the near future. What do you think of that, considering that some time ago you guys were fighting over who was going to be fords' "golden boy"? Have you given any thought about contacting some of the F1 teams yourself? Have any contacted you? An interesting thought came to mind, in that Tony George is looking awfully close to putting his deal together bringing F1 to (a modified) Indy. You've always expressed your desire to run there — does this have any appeal to you? I would think that there would be some sponsors that would be interestred in you being there.
drive fast--
jason mulveny
p.s. I really enjoyed meeting you in cleveland, but i'm sooooooo disappointed that the film in my girlfriends camera didn't advance so I don't have any pictures of when we talked (after the morning warm-up) in the pits. Bummer, huh? I have a whole race weekend in one frame :-( | Both Gordons were at one time the Golden Boys of Ford. Jeff left cause he got a better deal and I just plain screwed up. We all make mistakes, hopefully we can overcome them.Jeff Gordon to BAR is interesting but I don't think it will happen. Jeff's certainly got the talent, it would just take him some time getting use to the horsepower. The question is why would he leave the spot he's in, and why would he leave NASCAR? Done all he can do? Maybe. I think the likelihood of Jeff and Ray having their own team will happen first. Who knows. As for me, F1 would be great. We have tossed the idea around but have not had any formal discussions with anyone.
Thanks for your support. |
| | | Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1998 10:38:21 EST
From: mgoodwin@GWTV.gwu.edu
Subject: US Drivers
Hi Robby,
I'm a huge fan. I love the way you are really pushing the limits of the Toyota this season (especially after watching the way Hiro nursed it around the track), and was really bummed to find out that your not going to be there next season to recieve some of the payoff of that. My question for you is this: With the rumors of Jeff Gordon going to test the BAR F1 car, have you had any contact with F1 teams? Is that something that interests you? It has been along time since Andretti left F1 and I really wish that there was an American driver over there. Besides yourself, which American driver do you feel could go over there and have the most success and do you see any going anytime soon?
My other question for you is about Bobby Rahal's team. Were you as surprised as he seems to be about the lack of interest American drivers showed in taking his seat after he retires? I really think you would be a good fit there.
Keep pushing it!
Matt Goodwin
ps Please don't go to NASCAR!!!!!! | | Thanks for noticing. I have pushed the envelope as hard as I know how, in some cases too hard. F1 has some interest to me, but at this point I have not had any contact with any teams. Bobby Rahal has a great team. In my opinion, they need an aggressive American driver who can and will win races and a championship. I think that's a good fit for me also. Only time will tell.Thanks. |
| | Date: Thu, 20 Aug 98 11:54:00 -0500
From: jpointe@wwilkins.com
Subject: NASCAR
Robby,
It's great to see you back in CART, and I hope to see you with a competitive ride for 1999. Is there any chance that Arciero-Wells would run three cars, keeping you with Max and Scott? Also, your situation in NASCAR obviously never worked out the way that you and Felix Sabates had envisioned, but you still showed great potential. Do you feel that you need to try NASCAR again to satisfy yourself? I believe that you are one of the few among current American racers who have the skills to competitive across series like Andretti, Foyt, and the Unsers used to. It would nice to see you win a championship in at least one of the major series!
Keep the fire burning,
Jason Pointe
P.S. Do you think that "they" will hold Michael to his opinion of Goodyear tires at Road America? |  | Arceiro Wells will not run three cars next year, at least I don't think they will. Very few teams have been successfully running three cars. NASCAR is still interesting to me, for a number of reasons, but obviously because I didn't win there. You are on the money when you talk about running for and winning a championship. Those are obviously goals that are top of mind. Don't worry about the fire going out, I was born with gasoline in my blood.Let's talk about Michael Andretti's comments for a moment. Elkhart Lake has a way of bringing out the worst in we fiery competitors. Two years ago I made one of the biggest mistakes of my life. I have since been labeled everything in the book. I have done everything I know how to "clean the slate" if you will, but that one single incident still haunts me. Will this happen to Michael. It shouldn't and probably won't. In the heat of the battle, it's quite possible to say something you regret. Having a mic on Mikey at exactly the right time certainly didn't do him any favors. But Michael Andretti is a PPG Cup Champion. Robby Gordon was not. That's the difference. Was it all Goodyear's fault, probably not. But one thing for sure, someone is going to figure it out!
That's one thing that I can say about my incident in 1996. What I said was wrong and I deeply regret that. However, I believe that I took one for the team. In 1996 we just weren't competitive. Look at where Ford is at today. They have one of the best CART engines in the series. Someone had to rev up the troops. Unfortunately, it was me. Maybe someday, things will come around and I'll get a chance to earn back just a little respect. I believe Mikey's comment will rally the troops at Goodyear and bring them back with flying colors. It almost always happens that way. How about Rahal's comments about Honda. Think that rallied the troops. You bet.
I would encourage Mike to keep his cool and Goodyear to endear one of the greatest race drivers out there.
Thanks for asking. |
| | Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1998 16:12:52 -0800
From: Nathan Johnston
Subject: Vancouver... is faster better?
Robby,
Thank you for your response to my question about Wally's calls. You bring a very cool, and very real angle to all of our questions.As I read more and more about Vancouver's new layout, I feel a bit concerned. The course is going to have some very fast sections this year, and being a temporary street course, it doesn't sound like such a good idea to me. As a driver, do increased speeds on a course like Vancouver (narrow and cement-lined, little or no emergency run-off) raise concern? More importantly, if a configuration change did raise concern, by what means can drivers voice their feelings? How are drivers involved in the process of changing a course's configuration?Thanks for the answers, Robby, and best wishes for the rest of the season.
Nathan Johnston | | If we, the drivers, don't like a track, specifically with regard to safety, we can make changes immediately. Races have been very close to being shut down due to drivers concerns. Drivers meeting usually uncover these sorts of track inefficiencies. I have seen the new layout at Vancouver but can't really comment until I stick my foot into it. Hopefully the track is wide enough for passing. That is the biggest issue to me with a number of these tracks. Even Mid-Ohio should be widened at least 25'. It was developed for sports cars. Give us some room to pass and may the best man win.See you in Vancouver. |
| | | | "Bobby Rahal has a great team. In my opinion, they need an aggressive American driver who can and will win races and a championship." | |
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