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CART: Team Gordon Takes its Act Overseas Once Again, Off to Rio

11 May 1999

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil - The last time Robby Gordon needed his passport to get to a race, he went on to make a breakthrough run that heralded the arrival of his first-year team among the CART FedEx Championship Series' top teams.

Team Gordon hopes its 30-year-old owner-driver (the only man to hold such a title on the CART circuit) continues his penchant for success abroad during this weekend's Rio 200 (May 13-15) in Brazil.

Three races ago, and just his new team's second of the young season, Gordon made a remarkable run from his 14th starting position to fourth place on the very first lap at Japan's Twin Ring Motegi. He hung with the leaders for the remainder of the race before gearbox trouble in the final two laps dropped him back to eighth place.

Nonetheless, the performance showed the others on the hotly competitive CART FedEx Championship Series that the #22 Johns Manville/Panasonic/Menards Toyota-powered Champ Car would be one to reckon with.

"I've got my passport ready and we're ready to roll," said Gordon, who's coming off a frustrating 19th-place finish at Nazareth, Pa. "We keep learning things every time we take to the track, and this weekend will be no different. The greatest lesson has been the reality that you have to have patience when you're a first-year team. You take a little time to celebrate your successes along the way, and try to get something positive out of even the negative situations."

The 1.864-mile Emerson Fittipaldi Speedway at Nelson Piquet International Raceway will offer a rather unique challenge this weekend.

"They call it an oval, but it's not your typical oval," said Gordon, whose only previous experience at the track was during his third full season driving for Walker Racing. "You have to have a very well-balanced package. It's got a combination of long straightaways and very tight left-hand turns, mixed with some high-speed left-handers. It's a real driver's track."

Practice for the Rio 200 begins Thursday (May 13), with qualifying set for Friday (May 14). Race time is noon EDT on Saturday (May 15). Tape-delayed broadcast is set for 4 p.m. EDT on Sunday, May 16.

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