About
Hi, I'm Robby Gordon, and just about every weekend you will find me in the same place: a racecar. As a six-time off road racing champion, I've got a pretty busy schedule. From the Indy 5000 to NASCAR to the Dakar Rally, over 2/3 of my weekends every year are spent racing. As if the frenetic schedule weren't enough, I have race teams on both the East and West coasts and I'm managing a team of almost 75 people. It's a good thing I'm a perfectionist because otherwise I don't think I could successfully manage so many different facets. And of course, I always make time for my fans.
I first became drawn to the idea of racing when I was a young kid in Orange, California. I started racing motorbikes when I was only 8 years old and I transitioned to cars just as soon as I was legally allowed to at 16. Racing consumed my life so I didn't have time to make any kind of trouble.
My very first race was the Nevada 400 and, somehow, I managed to win it right off the bat. I guess all the practice paid off! I competed in a variety of off road races after that and racked up about 6 championships. The fearless manner of these races was a huge draw, but I was enthusiastic to see what other challenges were out there.
I started on the sports cars in 1990, winning 5 GTO races in 1991 followed by a Trans-Am race win in 1992. In 1993, I got a huge break when I started racing an Open Wheel Indy car for A.J. Foyt. The wins and podium finishes kept racking up from the International Race of Champions to CART.
Something I really stuck close to was the NASCAR Winston Cup Series. Starting in 1991, I competed in the series as a member of various teams. Then, in 2000, I finally formed my own team and we competed in 17 of the events, finishing strong in both 2001 races. I completed the season driving the RCR #31 Lowe's Chevrolet, bringing home my very first Winston Cup oval track top 10. It was an easy decision to kick it up a notch in 2002 and go for all 34 Winston Cup races. We ended with 5 top-10 finishes, placing 3rd at Watkins Glen. Then, in 2003, I competed head on with Jeff Gordon and managed to pull out the win. I became only the 4th driver in history to win both Winston Cup road races in the same year.
In 2004, I continued to steer the RCR car in the Sprint Cup series, but I also decided to create my own team for the Busch series. We participated in just a few of the races, including the fall Richmond event where we won a trophy. More than anything, this is what spurred me to create my own team for the Sprint Cup series. Ever since then, I've been the owner and driver of the #7 car and I'm happy to say we've performed consistently well.
There's another title that I'm quite proud of – in 2005, I became the first American driver to win a stage in the Dakar Rally, which is widely considered to be one of the most demanding motorsports events ever. I loved everything about it and I came back in 2006 with my Jim Beam/Toyo Tires Hummer H3. Fortune wasn't shining my way that year as radiator issues put us out of the running. I competed again in 2007, winning one of the stages and placing 8th overall.
Team Dakar USA made its grand return in 2009 and, this time, we doubled our efforts. I drove a Monster Energy/Toyo Tire Hummer H3 while my teammate Eric Vigouroux helmed a Vanguard Hummer H3. Both of us managed to finish in the top 15, which was a huge accomplishment that made all of us very proud.
I'm happy to say I have one of the best off road teams currently racing today.
Speed Factory TV
Robby Gordon's SPEED FACTORY is a reality show that features the inside looks at a world-class race shop and its day-to-day operations. SPEED FACTORY is scheduled to air 2 shows a week giving the fan a perspective of what it takes to be one of the most diversified drivers in the world, one of the few owner/driver combinations in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and most importantly what it takes to make the SPEED FACTORY work.
Visit Team 4 Wheel Parts for the latest episode of SPEED FACTORY. Please give the video a moment to load.
Win a Ride-Along with Robby Gordon Contest
Congratulations to Nate Thompson for winning the Ride-Along with Robby Gordon
Once again I cannot thank you enough for everything you guys did for us on this amazing trip, and I have spoken nothing but praise for your team and the entire company since then, and plan on continuing that for a long time to come. I look forward to continuing to purchase your products for years to come and now know that they are made with pride by people who are truly passionate about what they are making and, most notably, about the sport/lifestyle it supports. Doesn’t matter if it’s the sands of Baja or the rocks of Moab, there is a need for constant improvement and affordable, easy to use options for the common enthusiast, and you guys provide just that. Thanks so much for everything you guys did to give me, some random kid from South Dakota, the experience of a lifetime. Keep up the good work.
Thanks again,
Nate Thompson