CUP: Gordon Dominates Dakar Stage, Tells Inspectors To ‘Kiss My Ass’

Sprint Cup

CUP: Gordon Dominates Dakar Stage, Tells Inspectors To ‘Kiss My Ass’

Robby Gordon won the 12th stage of the Dakar Rally but is peeved at event inspectors...

Bob Pockrass | http://www.scenedaily.com | Posted January 14, 2012 Daytona Beach, FL

Robby Gordon waits in his Hammer before the start of the 2012 Dakar Rally's Stage 11 in Tacna, Peru. (Photo: AFP/Getty Images)

An angry Robby Gordon, out of contention for the 2012 Dakar Rally overall title after a crash and a mechanical issue earlier in the week, won the 12th stage Friday in Peru by more than 15 minutes.

With two stages remaining, Gordon sits fourth, 1 hour, 44 minutes behind leader French driver Stephane Peterhansel, who has a 20-minute lead on Spain’s Nani Roma.

With nothing to lose, Gordon could afford to be a little more aggressive Friday during the 152-mile stage than those ahead of him in the standings. But he also was motivated by the events of the last few days, which included the stage Thursday where he had problems replacing a CV joint, then lost the clutch and a wheel fell off.

Gordon, a Sprint Cup Series driver/owner who also owns his Hummer-backed entry, blamed Peterhansel for an accident Wednesday that cost him time during the 10th stage and is competing while awaiting the results of an appeal over his disqualification from the event for an issue with his air inflation system. He had plugged the system for the stage Friday in Peru.

The EuroSport telecast showed Gordon getting out of his car after the win and lifting up the body of his Hummer to show that the system in question was plugged.

“My main feeling is the inspectors can kiss my ass,” he said in his television interview. “They approved this. They have embarrassed me. The other competitors say I’m cheating. I beat them by 20 minutes with it plugged. It pisses me off. We play fair and square.

“We came to the Dakar and win and we made a bad decision yesterday. I changed a hub. I should have just put grease in the CV. I would have won the Rally. My mistake.”

Gordon believes the system is valid and was approved by race officials last year.

“There, that’s the system plug, with no possible chance of air,” he said in a quote posted on the Dakar website. “We schooled these boys. I’m pissed. I’m pissed at Stephane and I’m pissed at Nani for challenging my character about being a cheater and today I kicked their asses.

“I’m going to prove something every day for the rest of the rally.”

Gordon has won two stages in this year’s Dakar, which started in Argentina, went through Chile and finishes in Peru with a 171-mile stage Saturday and an 18-mile sprint Sunday.

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