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Tina Gordon Notes, Quotes: Sam’s Town 250
10-18-04
by Richard Williams
MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- This weekend Tina Gordon and the #39 Yahoo! Ford team head to the .750-mile Memphis (Tenn.) Motorsports Park for Saturday’s Sam’s Town 250. Gordon will be racing at the speedway for the second time in her career. She has one start at the track in an All-Pro late model.
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 Memphis:
“Memphis is a fun track to race. I’ve only been there once with a late model, but I had a lot of fun there. It’s a great track. The layout reminds you of Richmond, but it’s a slower Richmond. Memphis has a little bit more of that short-track “feel” to it. It’s tight and there is a lot of bumping. It can get pretty rough out there from what I’ve seen, but it’s still good racing. It’s a good track for the fans because it creates a lot of excitement and a lot of speed too.
“I’ve been more confident going into the tracks this season that I’ve seen before. I think that just makes sense. I’m more comfortable. It’s a good feeling to walk into a track and be able to say, ‘Yeah, I remember this.’ It’s a big deal when you are a rookie to be familiar with your surroundings. I’ve been to so many new tracks this season that getting back to a place where I’ve been before is a little bit more relaxing.
“I haven’t been to Memphis in a while (October, 2002), and things may have changed, but I remember that getting into the turns was a big deal. The entrance and exit to the turns at Memphis are critical. Like any short track, you want to dive the car in as hard as you can and accelerate off quickly. That’s true for Memphis. It’s going to be a little different this time with this Yahoo! Ford than the late model that I raced at the track before. Busch Series cars are so much heavier and I’ll have to adjust to that. It might take some time that first practice session, but I’ve been able to adapt quickly all season.
“I’m hoping for a good, strong race on Saturday. I want to run as many laps as possible. That has been the focus this season - to get experience in the Busch Series. We’ve had some ups and downs, but I’ve been getting the experience. This weekend I might put more pressure on myself. I’ve been to this track and I can really concentrate on racing.
“The more I can race in this series the more respect I can earn. Everyone is going to be more willing to give and take. That’s something that all rookie drivers face in any division. It’s not a ‘male-female’ thing. It’s just being a rookie, but the more I am able to race with these guys the better. I think Memphis, a place where I’ve been before, gives me a better opportunity to prove myself.
“I’m looking forward to the race and just the opportunity to go to Memphis. It’s a great city. There is a lot to do and I just really like the atmosphere. I’m hoping for a good run with this Yahoo! Ford. I can’t think of a better place than Memphis to do just that
