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CART: Robby Gordon Qualifying Notes, Marlboro 500

31 October 1999

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
Robby Gordon

#22 Johns Manville/Panasonic/Menards Toyota-Eagle
Qualifying Notes/Quotes Saturday, October 30, 1999
THE MALRBORO 500, PRESENTED BY TOYOTA
Round 20 of 20 on the 1999 CART FedEx Championship Series
At California Speedway Fontana, Calif.

Robby Gordon and the #22 Johns Manville/Panasonic/Menards Toyota-powered Eagle will start 15th on the grid in Sundays season-ending Marlboro 500, presented by Toyota. Gordon recorded a time of 31.432 seconds (an average of 232.387 mph) in his only hot lap during todays qualifying session on the 2-mile California Speedway tri-oval. Gordons was the second-fastest qualifying time by a Toyota-powered Champ Car today. The marque enjoyed its first-ever pole qualifying position behind the efforts of defending Marlboro 500 polesitter Scott Pruett, who came in at 31.030 seconds (235.398 mph) today. Team Gordons practice time has been heavily curtailed this weekend due to brake problems in the #22 primary car on Friday, and gusty winds on Saturday morning.

QUOTES

ROBBY GORDON "I cant say were all that dissapointed about where we are on the grid. Although we did only qualify about as fast as we ran during six days of testing here during the last several weeks. I got in a decent first qualifying lap, but I got a little loose during the second lap thought it would be wise to bring it in early. Its been a bit of a frustrating weekend with the brake problems and the gusty winds, but thank goodness we were able to get in a lot of test time here. We know we have a great race car. We got in a lot of long, full-tank runs. Im looking forward to tomorrow. I really enjoy the 500-mile races."

MIKE HELD (co-owner) "A Toyota on the pole ... lets celebrate! Too bad its not our car, but at least when the bar goes up, it goes up for everybody. Hats off to Scott Pruett and the Arciero-Wells team. Theyre a good team, plain and simple. Whether thats the case might have been an issue in some peoples minds all year, but they proved themselves today. Were in a solid position for tomorrow. Its a 500-mile race, so if youre not on the pole, qualifying doesnt matter, anyway."

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