Gordon Intent on Taking It to Mansell on Streets

If it weren’t for all the fuss being made over world Formula One champion Nigel Mansell’s entrance into Indy car racing this season, the hottest item would be Robby Gordon, the 24-year-old former off-road racer from Orange.

Gordon, who drove in a few races last year for Chip Ganassi, was chosen by A.J. Foyt to be his No. 1 driver this season. Foyt explained why: “Because he’s arrogant and cocky just like they say I used to be. I like that.”

Gordon finished an impressive third in the opening race at Surfers Paradise, Australia, and was among the leaders last week at Phoenix before he crashed shortly after passing Roberto Guerrero for third place late in the race.

Ahead lies Long Beach. Asked to assess his chances on the eight-turn, 1.59-mile street circuit April 18 in the Toyota Grand Prix. “I like my chances, I’ve been there, I’ve won there,” Gordon said. “I feel I might have a little edge on Nigel, in fact. He won in Australia, but I feel we were equal to him except for one mistake I made.”

Gordon passed pole-sitter Mansell on the first lap at Surfers Paradise with a move that impressed the world champion.

“It was a fantastic maneuver,” Mansell said. “He was totally committed and I knew he was totally committed, so I made room for him. All credit to him.”

On his second pit stop, Gordon was running third, close behind Mansell and former world champion Emerson Fittipaldi, when he lost his clutch and had to be push-started, losing valuable time.

“I came away from Australia confident I can run with Mansell on the street courses. If I hadn’t screwed up the clutch, I would have had a chance at beating him. He’s beatable. I’m not in awe of him. I respect him for what he’s done, but when I put my helmet on, he’s another race car driver. Someone I gotta pass.

“I felt the same way the first time I raced Ivan Stewart in the desert. I knew all about him, and I admired what he’d done, but when we started (the race) he was just another guy I had to beat. And I did. That’s the way I feel about Nigel. He’s coming to my territory when he runs Long Beach.”

Gordon started on the pole in a Ford last year in the Trans-Am support race and won after a race-long 45-lap battle with Scott Sharp. He also drove the two previous years in Camel GTS races at Long Beach. His car was involved in an accident while he was running second in 1990, and he led all but the final lap in 1991 when he was passed by Steve Millen.

Mansell drove in three Formula One races at Long Beach in 1981, 1982 and 1983, but on a far different two-mile course. He never finished better than seventh there while driving a Lotus.

“Long Beach is the race I really want,” Gordon said. “If I could win just one race, Indy comes first, of course, but Long Beach comes right behind. I grew up here and I’ll have probably a thousand or more of my friends from Orange in the stands rooting for me.”

Gordon graduated from Orange El Modena High in 1987, but was a professional driver long before graduation day. He had just turned 17 when his father, veteran off-road racer Bob Gordon, gave him a ride in a practice car in the 1986 Frontier 500 with Frank Arciero Jr. as his co-driver. They were scheduled to start five minutes in front of the senior Gordon, who warned them: “When I come up to pass you, don’t mess with me or anybody else. Just let us by.”

When Bob Gordon reached the first checkpoint, he asked what happened to his son, figuring he had crashed or broken down because he never saw him. “Don’t worry,” he was told. “They were in and out of here about 10 minutes ago.”

The next time he saw Robby was on the podium after his son had become the youngest driver to win a major desert off-road race. Father finished second.

Two years later, Robby won the Baja 1000 overall in a Ford pickup truck by driving solo for 17 hours. His association with Ford led to his testing for Jack Roush’s IMSA team at Sebring. Gordon not only won the test, he won the first of four consecutive 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring.

“It’s like Rick Mears always said, the lessons you learn racing on the desert help when you get on the pavement,” Gordon said. “In the desert the track surface is always changing and the cars are always getting away from you. You learn car control, how to save the car when it begins to get out of shape.”

Michael Kranefuss, Ford’s worldwide director of racing and Gordon’s private mentor, had this to say of the liaison between Foyt and Gordon: “They are so alike in terms of what they want to do and what they want to achieve. They both have no patience, they’re not very diplomatic, but I think it will be great for Indy car racing.”

Briefly

STOCK CARS--Saugus Speedway will hold a full program of sportsmen, Grand American modifieds, street stock ovals and Figure 8s and the first train race of the season Saturday night. . . . Also Saturday night is a NASCAR Winston Cup series program at Cajon Speedway.

SPRINT CARS--Winged cars of the Northern Auto Racing Club compete Friday and Saturday at Bakersfield Speedway in the opening weekend of the 13-race Golden State Challenge series. Favored will be Brent Kaeding, four-time NARC champion.

INDY CARS--Richie Hearn of Arcadia won the Dodge/Shelby Pro Series race last week at Phoenix and Brian Herta of Los Angeles finished second in the Firestone Indy Lights feature after leading until the final lap when he was passed by Sandy Brody of Boca Raton, Fla.

MISCELLANY--Speedway motorcycles will return to the Orange County Fairgrounds on Friday night for their second weekly meeting of the season. . . . Nearly 200 racers from the American Nostalgia Racing Assn. are expected Saturday at Los Angeles County Raceway in Palmdale for the first of six season events. Sixteen classes, including ones for street machines and motorcycles, will compete. . . . The Southern California Karters will hold road races Saturday and Sunday at Willow Springs Raceway. . . . A motocross and off-road show will be held at Ventura Raceway Saturday night.