Auto Racing

TALLADEGA — Want a dark horse in today's Amp Energy 500? Consider Robby Gordon.

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Slideshow: Saturday at Talladega View photos from Saturday's action at Talladega Superspeedway.

The No. 7 Mapei/Menards Dodge was fourth fastest in the first practice Friday, but was way off the pace in Saturday's pole qualifying.

Though Gordon will start 42nd after posting the slowest speed of the day, the owner-driver has quietly put together one of the top restrictor plate programs on the Nextel Cup series.

"I'm not worried about it," Gordon said. "We've been good. I saw on TV that we have the second- or third-most points of any team on restrictor plate tracks this season. I think we've had an average of eighth or so on the plate races."

Though Gordon might be there at the end, just don't look for him early.

"We are going to ride around the back," Gordon said. "It's going to be boring for our team. It is what it is. You have to be around at the end."

Gordon's strategy has paid off on plate tracks this season, and results suggest Gordon has reason to be optimistic.

The last of NASCAR's independent owner/drivers brings with him the same car that has placed eighth in the Daytona 500, 11th at the Aaron's 499 here in April and sixth in the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona, a race Gordon believes he could have — actually, should have — won.

"We should have won the July Daytona race with this car," Gordon said. "We finished sixth with it, even though I got knocked sideways on the re-start with two to go. I went back to 25th and still finished sixth, so we should be good."

Gordon, who will be making his 300th career Cup start today, finished second to the late Dale Earnhardt in an IROC race here in 1996 and has a total of eight top 15 finishes in NASCAR events at Talladega.

This will be Gordon's second race with Penske-prepared engines, and though Gordon said it was too early to judge his new motors against those provided to him earlier this season by GEM, he feels confident that he'll have plenty of horses here today.

"I've known the Penske guys since back in my Indy car days, and they know how to build engines," Gordon said. "I think I have got good power, and if we run bad (today) you can't point under the hood. It will be because we made a bad decision somewhere in the race."

As for 2009, Gordon looks forward to some stability after well-documented turmoil in '08 that has seen Gordon involved in three lawsuits, one manufacturer switch, the dissolution of a planned merger with GEM and rumors — all denied so far — that he will be back with a multi-car team next season.

"2009 will be fine," Gordon said. "We expect to have all the same partners back and add some as well. The economy is tough; one thing that I do have is a driver that will drive for free; that's the one thing that I know I have. I can make up a big piece of it right there."

Though Gordon is 35th in owner points — dangerously close to the cut-off for a guaranteed starting spot in next year's first five races — he sounds like a man prepared to fight against the super teams to maintain his place as one of the most versatile and fan-friendly drivers in the Cup garage.

And this is all without the benefit of one giant corporate sponsor or an enormous fleet of racecars.

But racing without paying the driver doesn't bother Gordon.

"I've been smart over the years," Gordon said. "It doesn't cost me a lot to live, it costs me a lot to race."