Everett, Wash.
Published: Friday, September 5, 2008

NASCAR notes: GEM suing Robby Gordon for breach of contract

Also: Toyota is mad and Nationwide's new cars debut

By Jenna Fryer
Associated Press

 RICHMOND, Virginia -- Gillett Evernham Motorsports is suing Robby Gordon, claiming the owner/driver violated terms of an agreement that would have sold his team to GEM.

Gordon insisted he hasn't breached any contract and wants to proceed with the sale of Robby Gordon Motorsports to GEM.

"They want to fight this and get relief from the agreement, and we'll let a judge decide if they can get out of it," Gordon said Friday at Richmond International Raceway. "This caught me by surprise, and I don't feel I have breached anything."

Gordon agreed to the deal on Jan. 29 to sell his team at the end of this season for $23.5 million (€16.5 million). The deal would have given Gordon a four-year driving contract with GEM, and possibly a seat on the team's board of directors. GEM would have acquired Gordon's shop and property in Charlotte.

Upon agreeing to the deal, Gordon promptly left Ford for Dodge and began an alliance with GEM that gave him technical, manufacturing and marketing help.

GEM said it had an exclusivity clause that prevented Gordon from talking to other teams about possible mergers. In May, Gordon asked out of the deal, according to the lawsuit, in exchange for an engine deal for the remainder of the season.

GEM claims in the suit filed Aug. 25 in North Carolina Superior Court that Gordon has talked to other teams about merging, and that Gordon made disparaging remarks that he wasn't getting comparable engines to the other GEM drivers during a television interview at Watkins Glen.

TOYOTA IS TICKED: Toyota officials are less than pleased about NASCAR's latest rule change to its motors, this one aimed at cutting back horsepower in the Truck Series engines.

NASCAR in July throttled the horsepower in Toyota's Nationwide Series engines, which also incensed the manufacturer.

Toyota Racing Development president Lee White said Friday both NASCAR moves were aimed at evening the competition in series' where Toyota dominates.

"Without a question, this latest one is a direct result of winning four straight races and finishing 1-2-3-4 at Bristol," White said. "I just don't swallow the technical argument."

Johnny Benson won Kentucky, Indianapolis and Nashville in a Toyota, and Kyle Busch, Todd Bodine, Scott Speed and Benson gave the Tundra the top four positions at Bristol.

NASCAR believes Toyota's engine program is so advanced over the other manufacturers, that it has built an unfair advantage over the competition. NASCAR has stressed that Toyota has played within the rules, but it's technology has given it an edge.

White is upset Toyota is being punished for working hard.

"In our opinion, there is no technical justification for this unjustly choke," he said.

NEW CAR TEST: NASCAR will test its next generation Nationwide Series car next week at Richmond International Raceway. More than a dozen drivers are scheduled to participate.

Each manufacturer is permitted to bring two cars to the test, which is scheduled for Monday and Tuesday.

"The goal of this test is for the manufacturers and participating teams to start laying a foundation for the transfer phase from the current car to the new car in the Nationwide Series," said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR's vice president of competition.

The new Nationwide car is also scheduled to have an on-track test at Lowe's Motor Speedway Oct. 13-14.

GRAND ACQUISITION: NASCAR has reached an agreement to acquire the Grand-Am Series from the France family.

The move will allow NASCAR and Grand-Am to combine marketing and communications while continuing to operate and sanction races independently.

"It means that NASCAR shares my opinion that this (Grand-Am) is the next big thing and is now prepared to move forward and help make it happen," Grand-Am president Roger Edmondson said.

The Grand-Am Series was established in 1999 and is based in Daytona Beach, Florida.
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