Dakar Ville de Dakar
—  City  —
Dakar urban area
Coat of arms
City of Dakar, divided into 19 communes d'arrondissement
Dakar Location within Senegal
Coordinates: 14°41′34″N 17°26′48″W / 14.69278°N 17.44667°W / 14.69278; -17.44667Coordinates: 14°41′34″N 17°26′48″W / 14.69278°N 17.44667°W / 14.69278; -17.44667
Country	Senegal
Région	Dakar
Département	Dakar
Settled	15th century
Communes d'arrondissement	19 Cambérène Parcelles Assaines Pattie d'Oies Hann Bel-Air Dieuppeul Derklé HLM Biscuiterie Grand Dakar Plateau Médina Fass-Gueule Tapée-Colobane Fann Point-E Mermoz-Sacré-Coeur Ouakam Yoff Ngor Liberté Grand-Yoff Cape Verde Peninsula
Government
• Mayor	Khalifa Sall (2009)[1] (BSS/PS)
• Regional president	Abdoulaye Wade (since 2002)
Area[2]
• City	82.38 km2 (31.81 sq mi)
• Metro	547 km2 (211 sq mi)
Population (31 December 2005 estimate)[3]
• City	1,030,594
• Density	12,510/km2 (32,400/sq mi)
• Metro	2,452,656
• Metro density	4,484/km2 (11,610/sq mi)
	Data here are for the administrative Dakar région, which matches almost exactly the limits of the metropolitan area
Time zone	GMT (UTC+0)
Website	http://www.villededakar.org/

View of Dakar from Earth Orbit

Dakar is the capital city and largest city of Senegal. It is located on the Cap-Vert Peninsula on the Atlantic coast and is the westernmost city on the African mainland. Its position, on the western edge of Africa, is an advantageous departure point for trans-Atlantic and European trade; this fact aided its growth into a major regional port.

According to December 31, 2005 official estimates, the city of Dakar proper has a population of 1,030,594, whereas the population of the Dakar metropolitan area is estimated at 2.45 million people.^[3]

Dakar is a major administrative centre, home to the National Assembly of Senegal and Senegal's President's Palace.

History[link]

Dakar in 1850.

Dakar in 1888.

The Cape Verde Peninsula was settled, no later than the 15th century, by the Lebou, an ethnic group related to the neighboring Wolof and Sereer. The original villages: Ouakam, Ngor, Yoff and Hann, still constitute distinctively Lebou neighborhoods of the city today. Meanwhile, in 1444, the Portuguese arrived on the island of Gorée and founded a settlement there. By 1536, they had begun using it as a base for the export of slaves. The mainland of Cap-Vert, however, was under control of the Jolof Empire, as part of the western province of Cayor which seceded from Jolof in its own right in 1549. A new Lebou village, called Ndakaaru, was established directly across from Gorée in the 17th century to service the European trading factory with food and drinking water. Gorée was captured by the United Netherlands in 1588, which gave it its present name (spelled Goeree, after Goeree-Overflakkee in Holland). The island was to switch hands between the Portuguese and Dutch several more times before falling to the English under Admiral Robert Holmes on January 23, 1664, and finally to the French in 1677. Though under continuous French administration since, Métis families, descendant from Dutch and French traders and African wives, dominated the slave trade. The infamous "House of Slaves" was built here in 1776.

In 1795 the Lebou of Cape Verde revolted against Cayor rule. A new theocratic state, subsequently called the "Lebou Republic" by the French, was established under the leadership of the Diop, a Muslim clerical family originally from Koki in Cayor. The capital of the republic was established at Ndakaaru. In 1857 the French established a military post at Ndakaaru (which they called "Dakar") and annexed the Lebou Republic, though its institutions continued to function nominally. The Serigne (also spelled Sëriñ, "Lord") of Ndakaaru is still recognized as the traditional political authority of the Lebou by the Senegalese State today.

The slave trade was abolished by France in February 1794. However, Napoleon reinstated it in May 1802, then finally abolished it permanently in March 1815. Despite Napoleon's abolition, a clandestine slave trade continued at Gorée until 1848, when it was abolished throughout all French territories. To replace trade in slaves, the French promoted peanut cultivation on the mainland. As the peanut trade boomed, tiny Gorée Island, whose population had grown to 6,000 residents, proved ineffectual as a port. Traders from Gorée decided to move to the mainland and a "factory" with warehouses was established in Rufisque in 1840.

Large public expenditure for infrastructure was allocated by the colonial authorities to Dakar's development. The port facilities were improved with jetties, a telegraph line was established along the coast to Saint-Louis and the Dakar-Saint-Louis railway was completed in 1885, at which point the city became an important base for the conquest of the western Sudan.

Gorée, including Dakar, was recognised as a French commune in 1872. Dakar itself was split off from Gorée as a separate commune in 1887. The citizens of the city elected their own mayor and municipal council and helped send an elected representative to the National Assembly in Paris. Dakar replaced Saint-Louis as the capital of French West Africa in 1902. A second major railroad, the Dakar-Niger built from 1906–1923, linked Dakar to Bamako and consolidated the city's position at the head of France's West African empire. In 1929, the commune of Gorée Island, now with only a few hundred inhabitants, was merged into Dakar.

Urbanization during the colonial period was marked by forms of racial and social segregation—often expressed in terms of health and hygiene—which continue to structure the city today. Following a plague epidemic in 1914, the authorities forced most of the African population out of old neighborhoods, or "Plateau", and into a new quarter, called Médina, separated from it by a "sanitary cordon". As first occupants of the land, the Lebou inhabitants of the city successfully resisted this expropriation. They were supported by Blaise Diagne, the first African to be elected Deputy to the National Assembly. Nonetheless, the Plateau thereafter became an administrative, commercial, and residential district increasingly reserved for Europeans and served as model for similar exclusionary administrative enclaves in French Africa's other colonial capitals (Bamako, Conakry, Abidjan, Brazzaville). Meanwhile, the Layene Sufi order, established by Seydina Mouhammadou Limamou Laye, was thriving among the Lebou in Yoff and in a new village called Cambérène. Since independence, urbanization has sprawled eastward past Pikine, a commuter suburb whose population (2001 est. 1,200,000) is greater than that of Dakar proper, to Rufisque, creating a conurbation of almost 3 million (over a quarter of the national population).

In its colonial heyday Dakar was one of the major cities of the French Empire, comparable to Hanoi or Beirut. French trading firms established branch offices there and industrial investments (mills, breweries, refineries, canneries) were attracted by its port and rail facilities. It was also strategically important to France, which maintained an important naval base and coaling station in its harbor and which integrated it into its earliest air force and airmail circuits, most notably with the legendary Mermoz airfield (no longer extant).

During the Battle of Dakar, which took place off the coast of Dakar on September 23–25, 1940, the British navy attempted to rally the colonial administration in Dakar to the Allied cause and detach it from Vichy. In November 1944 West African conscripts of the French army mutinied against poor conditions at the Thiaroye camp, on the outskirts of the city. The mutiny was seen as an indictment of the colonial system and constituted a watershed for the nationalist movement.

Dakar was the capital of the short-lived Mali Federation from 1959 to 1960, after which it became the capital of Senegal. The poet, philosopher and first President of Senegal Léopold Sédar Senghor tried to transform Dakar into the "Sub-Saharan African Athens" (l’Athènes de l’Afrique subsaharienne),^[4] as his vision was for it.

Dakar is a major financial center, home to a dozen national and regional banks (including the BCEAO which manages the unified West African CFA currency), and to numerous international organizations, NGOs and international research centers. Dakar has a large Lebanese community (concentrated in the import-export sector) that dates to the 1920s, a community of Moroccan business people, as well as Mauritanian, Cape Verdean, and Guinean communities. The city is home to as many as 20,000 French expatriates. France still maintains an air force base at Yoff and the French fleet is serviced in Dakar's port.

Beginning 1978, Dakar has frequently been the ending point of the Dakar Rally. The rally has brought worldwide attention to the poverty of Senegal and Dakar.^{[citation needed]}

Geography and climate[link]

The Dakarian climate is generally warm. Dakar has semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification BSh), with a short rainy season and a lengthy dry season. Dakar's rainy season lasts from July to October while the dry season covers the remaining eight months. The city sees approximately 495 mm of precipitation per year.

Dakar between December and May is usually pleasantly warm with daily temperatures around 24-27 degrees. Nights during this time of the year are comfortable, some 17-20 degrees. However, between May and November the city becomes decidedly warmer with daily highs reaching 29-31 degrees and night lows a little bit above 23-24 degrees. Notwithstanding this hotter season Dakar's weather is far from being as hot as that of African cities inland, such as Niamey and N'Djamena, where temperatures hover above 36 degrees for much of the year. It has presumably the best climate settings in all western Africa, as it is cooled year-round with sea breezes.

Administration[link]

Market street in the working class Gueule Tapée quarter

The city of Dakar is a commune, (also sometimes known as commune de ville), one of the 67 communes of Senegal. The commune of Dakar was created by the French colonial administration on June 17, 1887 by detaching it from the commune of Gorée. The commune of Gorée, created in 1872, was itself one of the oldest Western-style municipalities in Africa (along with the municipalities of Algeria and South Africa).

The commune of Dakar has been in continuous existence since 1887, being preserved by the new state of Senegal after independence in 1960, although its limits have varied considerably over time. The limits of the commune of Dakar have been unchanged since 1983. The commune of Dakar is ruled by a democratically elected municipal council (conseil municipal) serving five years, and a mayor elected by the municipal council. There have been 20 mayors in Dakar since 1887. The first black mayor was Blaise Diagne, mayor of Dakar from 1924 to 1934. The longest serving mayor was Mamadou Diop, mayor for 18 years between 1984 and 2002.

The commune of Dakar is also a département, one of the 34 départements of Senegal. This situation is quite similar to Paris, which is both a commune and a département. However, contrary to French départements, départements in Senegal have no political power (no departmental assembly), and are merely local administrative structures of the central state, in charge of carrying out some administrative services as well as controlling the activities of the communes within the département.

The département of Dakar is divided into four arrondissements: Almadies, Grand Dakar, Parcelles Assainies (which literally means "drained lots"; this is the most populous arrondissement of Dakar), and Plateau/Gorée (downtown Dakar). These arrondissements are quite different from the arrondissements of Paris, being merely local administrative structures of the central state, like the Senegalese départements, and are thus more comparable to French departmental arrondissements.

Residential street in the upscale Mermoz quarter

The Assemblée nationale on the Plateau, the heart of old Dakar

In 1996 a massive reform of the administrative and political divisions of Senegal was voted by the Parliament of Senegal. The commune of Dakar, whose population approached 1 million inhabitants, was deemed too large and too populated to be properly managed by a central municipality, and thus on August 30, 1996 Dakar was divided into 19 communes d'arrondissement. These communes d'arrondissement were given extensive powers, and are very much like regular communes. They have more powers than the arrondissements of Paris, and are more akin to the London boroughs. The commune of Dakar was maintained above these 19 communes d'arrondissement, and it coordinates the activities of the communes d'arrondissement, much as Greater London coordinates the activities of the London boroughs. The 19 communes d'arrondissement belong to either of the four arrondissements of Dakar, and the sous-préfet of each arrondissement is in charge of controlling the activities of the communes d'arrondissement in his arrondissement.

The commune d'arrondissement of Dakar-Plateau (34,626 inhabitants), in the arrondissement of Plateau/Gorée, is the historical heart of the city, and most ministries and public administrations are located there. The densest and most populous commune d'arrondissement is Médina (136,697 inhabitants), in the arrondissement of Plateau/Gorée. The commune d'arrondissement of Yoff (55,995 inhabitants), in the arrondissement of Almadies, is the largest one, while the smallest one is the commune d'arrondissement of Île de Gorée (1,034 inhabitants), in the arrondissement of Plateau/Gorée.

Dakar is one of the 11 régions of Senegal. The Dakar région encompasses the city of Dakar and all its suburbs along the Cape Verde Peninsula. Its territory is thus roughly the same as the territory of the metropolitan area of Dakar. Since the administrative reforms of 1996, the régions of Senegal, which until then were merely local administrative structures of the central state, have been turned into full-fledged political units, with democratically elected regional councils, and regional presidents. They were given extensive powers, and manage economic development, transportation, or environmental protection issues at the regional level, thus coordinating the actions of the communes below them.

Abdoulaye Wade was re-elected in 2007.

Notable places[link]

The Dakar Railway Station

The Dakar Cathedral

Attractions in Dakar include major markets, Dakar Grand Mosque (built in 1964), Dakar Cathedral, Gorée Island, the IFAN Museum of West African culture, the newly completed African Renaissance Monument, clifftop walks and beaches, and Hann Park, home to Senegal Zoo.

The town serves as a port and is home to the Léopold Sédar Senghor International Airport. It is also the terminus of the Dakar-Niger railroad line.

Dakar used to be the finishing point of the Dakar Rally and is a member of the Organization of World Heritage Cities. Cheikh Anta Diop University also known as the University of Dakar, was established in 1957.

Notable natives and residents[link]

This is a list with no clear inclusion or exclusion criteria. Please help to improve Wikipedia by ensuring that there is consensus on the inclusion and exclusion criteria on the talk page. Please do not remove this message until the section contains only verifiable material.

• Abdoulaye Diagne-Faye, footballer, West Ham United
• Abdoulaye Salam Fall, Founder Seneweb.com
• Akon, R&B singer, Real name - Alioune Thiam
• Assane Ndiaye, Singer and songwriter, cousin of Thione Seck
• Baaba Maal, singer and guitarist
• Boris Diaw, basketball player, San Antonio Spurs
• Bouna Coundoul, American footballer, New York Red Bulls
• Cheikh Samb, basketball player, former Los Angeles Clippers
• DeSagana Diop, basketball player, Charlotte Bobcats
• Ibrahim Ba, former footballer
• Ismaël Lô, singer-songwriter
• Issa, R&B singer
• Kalidou Kasse, visual artist, President of the International Association of Visual Artists of Senegal
• Luke Lattanzi-Silveus, former footballer
• Macoumba Kandji, footballer, Colorado Rapids
• Mamadou Barry, CEO/Founder, World Sun Technology, San Antonio, Texas, USA
• Mamadou Seck, basketball player,^[5]
• Mame Biram Diouf, footballer, Hannover 96
• Marc Lièvremont, Former rugby player and former head coach of the France national rugby union team
• Mbaye Diagne, United Nations military observer and hero during the Rwandan genocide
• Ofeibea Quist-Arcton, foreign correspondent for NPR News
• Orchestra Baobab
• Ousmane Barro, basketball player, Marquette University
• Papa Bouba Diop, footballer, West Ham United
• Patrice Evra, footballer, Manchester United
• Patrick Vieira, footballer, Manchester City
• Ségolène Royal, French politician born in Dakar
• Thione Seck, Singer and songwriter
• Youssou N'Dour, singer and percussionist
• Ousseynou Diop, Basketball player Bellevue University
• Hamady Ndiaye, Basketball player Washington Wizards
• Aziz N'diaye, Basketball player University of Washington
• Mamadou N'Diaye, former basketball player for Auburn University and the Toronto Raptors
• Papiss Cisse, footballer, Newcastle United

International relations[link]

Twin towns—Sister cities[link]

Dakar is twinned with:

• Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States
• Baku, Azerbaijan
• Douala, Cameroon
• Milan, Italy^[6]
• Oran, Algeria
• Rosario, Argentina
• Washington, D.C., United States^[7]

See also[link]

Senegal portal

Notes[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Dakar

• (French) Official website
• Peace Corps Senegal Volunteer Guide to Dakar

v t e Commune d'arrondissements of Dakar Biscuiterie ·Cambérène ·Dieuppeul-Derklé ·Fann-Point E-Amitié ·Gueule Tapée-Fass-Colobane ·Gorée ·Grand Yoff ·Grand Dakar  ·Hann Bel-Air ·HLM ·Médina Mermoz-Sacré-Cœur ·Ngor ·Ouakam ·Parcelles Assainies ·Patte d'Oie ·Dakar-Plateau ·Sicap-Liberté ·Yoff

Robert Gordon Born (1969-01-02) January 2, 1969 (age 43) Cerritos, California, United States NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career 395 race(s) run over 19 year(s) Car no., team No. 7 (Robby Gordon Motorsports) 2011 position 34th Best finish 16th - 2003 First race 1991 Daytona 500 (Daytona) Last race 2012 Subway Fresh Fit 500 (Phoenix) First win 2001 New Hampshire 300 (New Hampshire) Last win 2003 Sirius at The Glen (Watkins Glen) Wins Top tens Poles 3 39 1 NASCAR Nationwide Series career 54 race(s) run over 9 year(s) 2011 position 129th Best finish 21st - 2004 First race 2001 GNC Live Well 200 (Milwaukee) Last race 2011 NAPA Auto Parts 200 (Montreal) First win 2004 Emerson Radio 250 (Richmond) Wins Top tens Poles 1 18 0 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series career 4 race(s) run over 3 year(s) Best finish 68th - 1996 First race 1996 Lowe's 250 (North Wilkesboro) Last race 2004 O'Reilly 200 (Bristol) Wins Top tens Poles 0 2 0 Statistics current as of March 4, 2012. IndyCar Series career 8 race(s) run over 7 year(s) Best finish 29th - 2000 First race 1996 Las Vegas 500K (Las Vegas) Last race 2004 Indianapolis 500 (Indy) Wins Podiums Poles 0 0 0 Champ Car career 107 race(s) run over 8 year(s) Years active 1992-1999 Best finish 5th - 1994, 1995 First race 1992 ITT Automotive Grand Prix of Detroit (Belle Isle) Last race 1999 Marlboro 500 (California) First win 1995 Slick 50 200 (Phoenix) Last win 1995 ITT Automotive Grand Prix of Detroit (Belle Isle) Wins Podiums Poles 2 9 4

Robert W. "Robby" Gordon (born January 2, 1969) is an American racecar driver who currently competes in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series as an owner-driver, driving the No. 7 Mapei Dodge Charger for Robby Gordon Motorsports, and also competes part-time in the Nationwide Series. He has also raced in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, Champ Car, Indycar, Trans-Am, IMSA, IROC and Dakar Rally. Gordon is regarded as one of the best road course drivers in NASCAR. Along with Tony Stewart, Joe Nemechek and Michael Waltrip, Gordon participates in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series as an owner/driver. He is not related to fellow Sprint Cup driver, Jeff Gordon. Robby and his Robby Gordon Motorsports team are currently^[when?] the stars of a reality TV series following the daily operations of his organization called SpeedFactory.tv, while he is also the founder of Speed Energy Drink.

Off-road racing[link]

Robby Gordon driving the Hummer H3 in the 2006 Dakar Rally

Robby, the son of off-road legend "Baja Bob" Gordon, started out competing in off road racing. He won 5 consecutive SCORE International off-road class championships from 1986–1990, a sixth championship in 1996, and a seventh championship in 2009. Gordon also won two championships in the Mickey Thompson stadium series, three Baja 500's in 1989, 1990, and 2005, and three Baja 1000’s in 1987, 1989, and 2006. Gordon has continued off-road racing throughout his career in Champ Car and NASCAR. As of 2006, he currently fields a team in SCORE, where he is a part time driver. In 2005 Gordon took part in the famous 16 day Dakar Rally, driving for the Red Bull sponsored Volkswagen team. He became the first American in the history of the rally to win a stage in the car division. He won two stages in total and a 12th place division finish. In 2006, Gordon took part in the Dakar Rally in a Hummer H3. Team Dakar USA did well until stage 9, when a damaged radiator caused late arrival at Atar, Mauritania, and subsequent disqualification. Gordon and co-driver Andy McMillin won the trophy truck class in the 2006 Baja 1000, finishing second overall in the race. After that, Gordon competed in his third Dakar Rally in 2007, driving the Monster Energy Hummer H3 for Team Dakar USA. He finished in the 8th position, his best finish in this race. His current trophy truck sponsor is Monster Energy and drove his Monster Energy truck in the 2007 Baja 500 with a second overall finish. Gordon's sisters Beccy Gordon and Robyn Gordon competed in the 2006 Baja 1000 on the all woman team All-American Girl Racing.

Gordon races in selected Traxxas TORC Series events as his schedule permits, including the 2010 AMSOIL Cup World Championship race at Crandon International Off-Road Raceway.^[1] He led the first lap of the race before retiring with mechanical difficulties.

Robby Gordon finished 3rd in the 2009 Dakar Rally in South America (where the event was moved after terrorist threats led the cancellation of the 2008 event). He finished 8th in the 2010 Dakar Rally in South America with his Monster Energy truck. He has been excluded from the 2012 edition after stage 10 for illegal modifications of his engine. He is appealing the charge.

IMSA[link]

In 1990, Gordon began racing sports cars. He won races in both Trans-Am and IMSA Camel GT, where he had four consecutive class wins in the 24 Hours of Daytona from 1990–1994, and three consecutive 12 Hours of Sebring class wins.

Open Wheel[link]

Gordon’s first start in the CART IndyCar series came in 1992. His first full season and Indy 500 start would come in 1993. He raced for Derrick Walker from 1994–96. With Walker, he captured his first career pole in 1994 (Toronto), and both his CART career wins in 1995 (Phoenix and Detroit). For 1998 and 1999, Gordon fielded his own team in the series with little success. Gordon raced 10 times in the Indy 500 from 1993 to 2004 fielding his own team in 1999, 2000 and 2004. He, along with John Andretti and Tony Stewart, are the only three drivers to race in the Coca-Cola 600 and Indy 500 in the same day. In 1999, Gordon came within one lap of winning. He inherited the lead by virtue of not stopping for a final pit stop and tried to conserve enough fuel to last until the end of the race. He ran out on lap 199 (of 200) and had to give up the lead to Sweden's Kenny Bräck.

During his time in open-wheel, Gordon earned a reputation as a tough and sometimes overly aggressive racer. According to Gordon, his decision to leave open wheel was based largely on safety concerns.^[2]

NASCAR[link]

Cup series[link]

Robby Gordon signing autographs at his souvenir trailer, a very common sight during most NASCAR weekends

Gordon's Winston Cup debut came in 1991, driving two races, including the Daytona 500 for Junie Donlavey in the No. 90 Ford. In 1993, Gordon drove the No. 28 Texaco Ford for Robert Yates Racing at Talladega in the team's first race after the death of driver Davey Allison. In 1994 Gordon drove in one race for Michael Kranefuss starting and finishing 38th at Michigan. In 1996 Gordon raced at Charlotte in what was one of the first starts ever for Dale Earnhardt Inc.. He also raced at Rockingham and Phoenix for Felix Sabates. Gordon's first full time ride came in 1997 with Felix Sabates' Team SABCO. Gordon raced in 22 starts with SABCO, and captured the pole at Atlanta. He also finished 4th at Watkins Glen, his only top-ten finish of the year. He returned to NASCAR full time in 2000, attempting to run his own team. Again, the results were disappointing; he failed to qualify for several races and finished with only 2 top-tens in 17 starts.

Gordon started the 2001 season for driving for Morgan-McClure Motorsports in the No. 4 Kodak Chevrolet, but was replaced by Kevin Lepage after only five races. Gordon returned to racing in a one-off agreement with Ultra Motorsports, where he replaced the team's regular driver Mike Wallace in the No. 7 NationsRent Ford for the June race at Sears Point. He was leading near the end of the race, but was passed by Tony Stewart for the win after allowing Stewart to catch up due to a battle to keep Kevin Harvick from gaining a lap back.

Later in the same season, he joined Richard Childress Racing as a replacement for the injured Mike Skinner. Gordon won the final race of the season at New Hampshire after a controversial incident resulting in the race leader, Jeff Gordon spinning after contact in the closing stages of the race. (Jeff, who thought Robby had spun him and had been running second at the time, rammed him during the caution flag and got a black flag, clinching the win for the other Gordon. The race, which had originally been scheduled for September, was postponed after 9/11, and after the event Robby announced he would donate all his winnings to the victims of the 9/11 attacks.) Gordon continued to race for Richard Childress through the 2004 season, staying in the headlines through many controversial incidents. In 2003, he earned his first road course win at Sears Point, after a controversial but legal pass under caution of his then teammate, Kevin Harvick. Gordon took his third career win later in the year at Watkins Glen. He, Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart and Kyle Busch are the only drivers to win both road course events (at Infineon Raceway and Watkins Glen) in one season since the two became part of the current Sprint Cup schedule.

In 2004, at the first stop for the Chase at New Hampshire, Robby Gordon and Greg Biffle made contact early in the race. Later, Robby intentionally wrecked Biffle, whose spinning car also took out Chase contenders Tony Stewart and Jeremy Mayfield. As a result of their DNF's, neither Stewart nor Mayfield were serious contenders in the 2004 Chase after that point. Though team owner Richard Childress asked Robby to stay, Robby announced in late 2004 that he would be operating his own NEXTEL Cup team.

For 2005, Gordon moved his Busch Series team up to the Nextel Cup, and was the only owner/driver left. Robby’s primary sponsor was Jim Beam Bourbon; his crew chief was Greg Erwin. Fruit of the Loom had the temporary privilege of playing primary sponsor for 9 races in the 2005 season. Menards was also the primary sponsor in some select races, as well as Harrah's. Gordon again struggled as an owner/driver, finishing with only two-top tens in 29 starts and failing to qualify for several races.

Gordon racing at Martinsville in October 2007.

In 2006, Gordon's team used engines from Dale Earnhardt, Inc., and showed considerable improvement over the previous year's performance over the first few races. He dominated the first quarter of the first Atlanta race in the season, and performed well at Sonoma and Watkins Glen, qualifying and finishing in the top 10 in both races. For the 2007 season, Gordon switched to the Ford Fusion, with engines supplied from Roush-Yates. He had two top-tens and finished 26th in points.

2008 racecar

On February 1, 2008, Robby Gordon said he would go to Dodge in 2008. He also announced a technical, manufacturing and marketing services agreement with Gillett Evernham Motorsports. After dropping to 33rd in points, Gordon announced he would be running Toyotas in 2009.^[3] Today, he, Michael Waltrip, and now Tony Stewart are the only owner/drivers on the circuit. However, unlike Waltrip (co-owns team with Robert Kauffman) and Stewart (partnered with Gene Haas), Gordon has no ownership partner.^[4]

Gordon will compete in fewer races for 2010, as Jim Beam did not renew its contract and due to scheduling conflicts. The team finished 34th in 2009 owner's standings. In January 2010, Gordon formed an alliance with BAM Racing. In 2010, with Ted Musgrave driving, his team failed to qualify at Pocono, the first time since the 2005 race at Texas. A penalty involving another team moved the No. 7 back into the Top 35. Due to a commitment in Argentina, Bobby Labonte drove the No. 7 at Loudon. P. J. Jones and Kevin Conway have also shared the #7; Gordon entered a No. 07 car for a number of races.

He has secured sponsorship to compete in the 2012 Daytona 500, but the remainder of Gordon's NASCAR plans for 2012 are uncertain.^[5]

Nationwide Series[link]

Gordon's first Nationwide Series experience came in 2001 when he ran 3 races for Richard Childress Racing in the No. 21 Rockwell Automation Chevrolet. His best finish was 5th at Watkins Glen International

In 2004 Gordon started his own then Busch Series team (Now known as the Nationwide Series), driving in 25 races and earning one win which came at Richmond.

He participated in several Nationwide races in 2006, including a few for Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s Nationwide team (JR Motorsports). The most notable highlight of his season was a second place finish at Watkins Glen on August 12. Driving his own No. 7 Chevy, Gordon went door-to-door with Kurt Busch, driver of the No. 39 car for Penske South Racing, for the final few laps. Gordon gained ground in the chicane, almost catching Busch. The two cars went wildly into the grass and dirt, almost wrecking each other. Gordon was able to save his car, as Busch went down the final straightaway to win the race. While being interviewed in victory lane Busch gave Gordon praise for a great race and said it reminded him of his race with Ricky Craven at Darlington in 2003.

On March 28, 2008 Robby Gordon and the No. 22 Supercuts Dodge Team of Fitz Motorsports joined forces for a part time schedule in the NASCAR Nationwide Series after driver Mike Bliss left the team to drive the No. 1 Chevrolet owned by James Finch. As of the press release Robby is slated to drive both the Phoenix and Texas Nationwide Series events in the No. 22 car.

Robby drove his No. 55 Mapei/Menards Dodge in the Chicagoland Race in July. He also started the Watkins Glen race in his No. 55 Jim Beam Dodge in 2nd place and finished in 19th position.

Craftsman Truck Series[link]

Gordon has run 4 career Truck Series races with one top-5 and 2 top-10 finishes. He has run for Team SABCO, Bobby Hamilton Racing, and Morgan-Dollar Motorsports.

Controversies[link]

During the 2005 running of the Sylvania 300, Gordon was involved in a wreck with Michael Waltrip, the driver of the No. 15 NAPA Chevrolet. The angered Gordon got out of his totaled car and threw his helmet at the No. 15 car as it was passing by. Tony Stewart's No. 20 missed the helmet just seconds after it hit Waltrip's car. When TNT interviewed him about the crash, he stated "People think Michael is a good guy, but he's not the good guy. The caution was out and he wrecked me; and he's a piece of shit." TNT apologized for his language, and Gordon apologized after the race, but Gordon was fined $50,000 and docked 50 drivers points. When asked by some people for the helmet, Gordon decided to auction it for the benefit of the Harrah's Employee Relief Fund, a fund that provides aid to Harrah's employees displaced by Hurricane Katrina. The helmet fetched $51,100, and was purchased by GoldenPalace.com.

During the 2006 Bass Pro Shops 500, he brought controversy by throwing roll bar padding onto the track at Atlanta Motor Speedway, drawing a caution flag that had a significant impact for the end of the race, especially drivers in pit road, most notably NEXTEL Cup contender Jeff Burton who wound up finishing 13th. Video from the race was not conclusive as to if he did in fact put debris on the track but NASCAR reacted by docking Gordon 50 points (each in the Driver and Car Owner categories) and a $15,000 fine. Gordon has denied he intentionally threw the debris.^[6]

During the inaugural NAPA Auto Parts 200 at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in 2007, Gordon was involved in an on-circuit altercation with fellow driver Marcos Ambrose. Gordon passed Ambrose to take the lead at the same time as a multi-car wreck was unfolding behind them; Ambrose spun him, under a yellow flag, to reclaim it seconds later.^[7] After an unusually long delay in sorting out the field for the restart, NASCAR eventually determined that Gordon would restart in 13th position. Gordon, who had a strong race all day, refused to go to that position, and was black flagged after the restart, and after spinning out Ambrose. Gordon did not come in for his penalty and was then given the black flag with diagonal white cross, meaning that his subsequent laps were no longer being scored. As a result, he finished 18th. Following the race, Gordon proceeded to do burnouts on the front straightaway as if celebrating his victory, alongside race winner Kevin Harvick. He announced in a post-race interview that he would appeal the result of the race.^[8] However, NASCAR suspended Gordon for the following day's race at Pocono. In a statement released soon after the NASCAR announcement, Gordon apologized for his actions but maintained that NASCAR made a mistake in telling him to line up in the 13th position.^[9]

Gordon was docked 100 driver and owner points as a result of rule infractions during Speedweeks of 2008 at Daytona. Gordon's car was found with an unapproved front bumper cover. His crew chief Frank Kerr was suspended for 6 weeks until April 9, 2008, was fined $100,000, and placed on probation until December 31, 2008. Gordon was not fined. Gordon appealed the penalty issued by NASCAR in of February, 2008. Gordon issued a press statement. "This was an innocent mistake made by someone not even on our race team. They accidentally sent us the new Dodge noses that haven't yet been approved by NASCAR." According to NASCAR Robby Gordon's Dodge nose says Charger, but it is actually an Avenger and it had the approved nose's part number. On March 5, 2008, the penalty against him was rescinded by NASCAR following the appeal, and he gained back his 100 driver points and the suspension was lifted. Despite this, the fine was increased to $150,000.

Gordon's off-road finishes have also been the source of controversy. His second place finish in the San Felipe 250, March 2009, was overshadowed by allegations that in a very remote area he verred off course and drove down a cliff. The maneuver let him bypass a difficult section of the course, get ahead of another competitor without having to pass, and was a four mile shortcut. Trophy Truck competitor Ed Herbst filed a protest,^[10] which was supported by evidence from a pit crew known as the Baja Fools who had set up a pit stop in that section of the course. On investigation, two sets of Toyo tire tracks (identical to those on Gordon's truck) were found which established the four-mile shortcut.^[11] The protest was denied^[12] based on the fact that given Gordon's average speed, the four-mile shortcut would not have changed the results. After initially filing an appeal of the decision, Herbst, who shares a sponsor with Gordon, elected to withdraw the appeal and the results were deemed final.^[13]

Likewise, Robby was initially declared the winner of the 2009 Baja 500 on June 6, 2009. However, he was stripped of the title and moved to seventh place after it was determined that he violated two rules: one a fueling violation, the other a highway speed violation. A total of 100 minutes in penalties were assessed: 90 minutes for the more serious fueling violation where an amateur video proved that he illegally received fuel on the highway, and 10 minutes for the speed violation.^[14]

Gordon's troubles with NASCAR rules continued in 2009. He was caught with excessive rear toe (angle of the wheels to the car) after the May 27, 2009 Coca-Cola 600 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. This illegal adjustment permits the car to carry more speed into the corner. Gordon was docked 50 points and his crew chief was fined $50,000. Gordon elected not to appeal the infraction.^[15]

In 2010, the car Gordon owns and drives was found to have illegal parts during inspection on May 7, 2010 before a race at Darlington Raceway. Gordon was docked 25 owner points and 25 driver points. His crew chief, Samuel Stanley was fined $25,000 and placed on NASCAR probation for the rest of the year.^[16] This fine brought Gordon's five year total to $290,000 paid to NASCAR.

On March 4, 2011, Gordon was placed on indefinite probation in NASCAR due to an altercation he had with driver Kevin Conway in the garage area the night before.^[17] According to published reports, the two were involved in a scuffle over lawsuits each has filed against the other. Las Vegas police confirmed that Conway filed a criminal complaint charging Gordon with misdemeanor battery.^[18]

On August 25, 2011, Danica Patrick officially announced her plans to leave the IndyCar Series to race in NASCAR and expressed her hope that she'd keep the number 7 that she's had throughout her motorsports career. Gordon, who has raced under many numbers but had the number 7 for the last six years, refused to give up the number, stating: "Why would I?"^[19]

After the August 2011 Bristol race, Gordon admitted that he is now a "start and park" driver and will do so for most of the remainder of the season.^[20] "Start and park" is a controversial practice whereby a driver starts the race but then immediately parks his car, collecting last place prize money and protecting his car from any on-track incidents. At Bristol, Gordon completed only 10 laps but pocketed $85,960.^[21] Detractors of this practice complain that it is a "free ride" that takes a spot away from a driver who want to actually race and also deprives the fans of seeing action on the track.

Ironically, in 2012, Gordon blasted past-champion Terry Labonte for "starting and parking" after 12 laps at the Daytona 500 qualifying race. Gordon stated: "It's just not right. Why take a free ride when the rest of us have to bust our butts to get into the 500?"^[22]

Controversy continued to plague Gordon in 2012. While participating in the Dakar Rally, Gordon was running a strong second after nine stages before being disqualified after stewards ruled that the tire inflation system on his Hummer was illegal^[23] after another competitor made an anonymous suggestion to the tech inspectors along the rally route, where it was called into question. Gordon stated that if there was a problem with the system, he would plug it and still win stages. He did so the following day, winning the stage by more than 15 minutes in front of the second-place finisher.^[24]

He was permitted to continue while the ruling is being appealed to the French Automobile Sport Federation (FFSA) and possibly a further appeal to motorsport's global governing body, the Federation Internationale de L’Automobile (FIA), a process that will take several months.^[25]

Gordon's Hummer crashed and rolled over in the sand dunes of Peru in the penultimate stage of the rally (01/14/2012), but was set back on its wheels by spectators and Gordon continued on to a 10th-place finish of that stage.^[26] He then won the final stage the following day, finishing the rally in 5th place overall.^[27]

After Gordon qualified for the 2012 Daytona 500, he was critical of the past champion's provisional rule, which allowed 1996 Cup series champion Terry Labonte to park his car early during his qualifying race as he was guaranteed a start regardless of how he finished.^[28] Labonte responded that his team had only one car and they needed it for the race.^[29] Labonte did run the full race, leading three laps and finishing 18th.

Significant Victories[link]

• 7 SCORE International championships (1986–90, 1996, 2009)
• 3 time Baja 1000 winner (1987, 1989, 2006)
• 3 time Baja 500 winner (1989, 1990, 2005)
• 7 Dakar Rally stage victories
• 3 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series wins (New Hampshire '01, Infineon 03', Watkins Glen 03')
• 1 NASCAR Sprint Cup Gatorade 125 Win (2003)
• 1 NASCAR Nationwide Series win (Richmond '04)
• 2 CART wins (Phoenix and Detroit '95)
• 1 Central Europe Rally Special wins (2008 CER Stage 5 Scratch 1 winner (1/2 stage) Hummer)

Racing record[link]

American open–wheel racing results[link]

(key)

CART[link]

Year	Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	Rank	Points
1992	Chip Ganassi Racing	SRF	PHX	LBH	INDY	DET Ret	POR 13	MIL Ret	NHA	TOR 8	MIS	CLE 8	ROA Ret	VAN Ret	MDO	NZR	LS					20th	10
1993	A.J. Foyt Enterprises	SRF 3	PHX Ret	LBH DSQ	INDY Ret	MIL Ret	DET 8	POR 8	CLE 6	TOR 6	MIS Ret	NHA 5	ROA Ret	VAN Ret	MDO 2	NZR 4	LS 10					10th	84
1994	Walker Racing	SRF Ret	PHX 7	LBH 3	INDY 5	MIL 6	DET 3	POR 4	CLE 11	TOR 6	MIS Ret	MDO 4	NHA 13	VAN 2	ROA Ret	NZR Ret	LS 13					5th	104
1995	Walker Racing	MIA Ret	SRF Ret	PHX 1	LBH Ret	NZR 4	INDY 5	MIL 5	DET 1	POR 8	ROA Ret	TOR 5	CLE 6	MIS DNS	MDO 8	NHA 9	VAN 3	LS 15				5th	121
1996	Walker Racing	MIA 3	RIO Ret	SRF Ret	LBH 13	NZR Ret	500 Ret	MIL 17	DET Ret	POR 10	CLE 18	TOR 9	MIS 8	MDO Ret	ROA Ret	VAN 10	LS 15					18th	29
1997	Hogan Racing	MIA	SRF	LBH	NZR	RIO	STL	MIL	DET	POR	CLE	TOR	MIS	MDO	ROA	VAN	LS	FON 8				26th	5
1998	Arciero-Wells Racing	MIA	MOT	LBH	NZR 7	RIO	STL 13	MIL Ret	DET 14	POR Ret	CLE Ret	TOR 13	MIS Ret	MDO 11	ROA 12	VAN Ret	LS 13	HOU Ret	SRF 16	FON 9		23rd	13
1999	Team Gordon	MIA Ret	MOT 8	LBH 16	NZR 19	RIO 14	STL Ret	MIL Ret	POR 17	CLE 9	ROA 8	TOR 13	MIS Ret	DET Ret	MDO 10	CHI 10	VAN Ret	LS Ret	HOU Ret	SRF 8	FON 11	20th	27

Indianapolis 500 results[link]

References[link]