BUSCH: Charlotte: Robby Gordon qualifying reports

Gordon Qualifies 41st at Charlotte Motor Speedway

Concord, N.C. (May 25, 2006) -- The NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series returns to Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Coca-Cola 600 and the first points-paying race at the 1.5-mile D-shaped oval this season. After having to pull out the back-up No. 7 due to a flat tire and contact with the SAFER barrier during practice, Robby Gordon and the No. 7 Jim Beam Black Chevrolet qualified in 41st place for Sunday night's Coca-Cola 600. Qualifying with a lap of 29.07 seconds and 180.560 mph at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Gordon and the No. 7 Jim Beam Black Chevrolet team are still confident that they can be a factor in stock car racing's longest event.

"I feel pretty optimistic all things considered," Gordon said. "We had a pretty good practice going earlier today and then popped a right front tire and stuck it into the wall right before we began our qualifying run. We had to bring out the back-up car, which is pretty similar to our primary, and qualify without making a single lap in it. We have a lot of confidence in this car though. It had some really good runs at Texas and Atlanta, so the No. 7 Jim Beam Black Chevy should be a contender Sunday night."

Gordon Qualifies 27th for the CARQUEST Auto Parts 300

Robby Gordon and the No. 7 Harrah's Chevy make their 2006 season debut in the NASCAR Busch Series this weekend at the unofficial home track of stock-car racing, Charlotte Motor Speedway. Robby Gordon and the No. 7 Harrah's Chevrolet qualified in 27th place for Saturday night's CARQUEST Auto Parts 300. Qualifying with a lap of 29.886 seconds and 180.687 mph at the 1.5-mile D-shaped oval, Gordon and the No. 7 Harrah's Chevrolet team are looking to capture their first Busch Series win since 2004 at Richmond.

"For me it was a pretty decent day," Gordon said. "Right off the truck the No. 7 Harrah's Chevy was a top-10 car. It had a top-five run going at last year's Busch race until we blew a tire late in the race. So I'm pretty confident that we can bring this thing back to the front and give Harrah's, our other sponsors and the fans a good show Saturday night."

-grm