‘Adding To The History’

This weekend Tina Gordon and the #39 Yahoo! Ford team head into the 1.5-mile Lowe’s Motor Speedway, located in the city of Concord (N.C.), for Friday night’s inaugural Sponge Bob 300. It is the first time that the Busch Series has held a fall night race at the track.

Gordon, 33, is a native of Cedar Bluff, Ala., and driver of the Yahoo!-sponsored Ford fielded by Jay Robinson Racing of Charlotte, N.C. Robinson is the first car owner in major league motorsports to have fielded full-time rides for different female drivers, the other being Tammy Jo Kirk the second half of last season. Gordon comes to the Yahoo! Ford team from the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, but also brings strong experience credentials from the weekly short tracks of Alabama, the same tracks that spawned racing legends such as Davey Allison, and helped build legends such as Bobby and Donnie Allison, Red Farmer and Neil Bonnett.

Microtel Inn and Suites, which has received the J.D. Power & Associates award for highest guest satisfaction the past two years, and, Vasarette, a top of the line lingerie manufacturer, have joined Jay Robinson Racing as associate sponsors on the #39 Yahoo! Ford.

Jay Robinson Racing, in its fourth season of operation, is one of the fastest-growing teams in NASCAR. Robinson, a Charlotte, N.C., native who is a successful businessman, founded the team as a high-value endeavor that offers high-end equipment and efforts, while proving to be one of the most cost-efficient teams in the sport. Robinson fields two sponsored cars fulltime on the Busch Series: the #39 Yahoo! Ford and the #49 Advil Ford, and runs a third car in many Busch Series events.

The thoughts of Yahoo! Ford driver Tina Gordon heading into Lowe’s:

“The track is making some history this weekend with a night race for the Busch Series. It’s going to be special to be a part of history - especially at this track. Growing up, and being a race fan, I think everyone points to Lowe’s as a track that holds a lot of tradition and prestige. And now, to be a part of something new, that’s pretty exciting for the Busch Series as a whole.

“I think everyone is pretty excited about a Friday night event. Lowe’s is a popular track and draws big crowds. A big race under the lights is going to draw an even bigger crowd. I think we see that at Richmond (Va.) and Bristol (Tenn.) when we race at night there. There is always a big crowd because I think more fans are attracted to night races.

“It’s something about the atmosphere. The lights are gleaming, the cars are shining, and I think that makes the fans more excited. It might make the drivers more excited as well. We are sitting around all day at the track, and by race time we are more than ready to race. We want to put on a great show for the fans and I think we can do that this weekend.

“Lowe’s always has good racing. It’s a really fast track. We just left Kansas, and now we’re coming to a track that is something like it. Lowe’s is just older. The groove is wider and there is more room to run fast. It’s a tricky track, but I think the cooler temperatures will keep it consistent.

“Lowe’s has always been weather sensitive. I think during qualifying you might be able to tell the difference in the change of the tracks conditions. At night, however, I don’t know how drastic that change will be. We are starting at 8 p.m. local time and I think the sun will be set by then. The track should be cool and fast.

“We’re looking forward to it. There might be some guessing during qualifying on a setup, but I think everyone will have a descent idea for Friday night. We’ve raced at night before, but just not at Lowe’s. I think, however, that we will all adjust pretty quickly. We want to give this Yahoo! Ford a good run. Lowe’s has a lot of history, a little more after this weekend, and we just want to be a part of it in a positive way.”