Robby Gordon Stadium Super Trucks

[Relly]

Here's some news that makes me sad, but at the same time I saw this coming:

Robby Gordon unlikely to run NASCAR in 2013: Robby Gordon, who raced his way into the Daytona 500 last year as part of a light NASCAR schedule, is not scheduled to do any NASCAR racing in 2013. Spokesperson Alison McCabe said she doesn't think Gordon will participate in NASCAR due to his involvement in his new racing project, Robby Gordon's Stadium Super Trucks series. The 12-race off-road stadium series will debut April 6 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. The Stadium Super Trucks series will be televised by NBC and the NBC Sports Network. Sponsorship woes with his self-owned team led to him racing only three times in 2012: the season-opener at Daytona, race No. 2 at Phoenix and the road-course race at Sonoma. He failed to qualify for early-season races at Las Vegas and Fontana.(As the World Turns Left)(12-19-2012)

I wish Robby luck with the new SS Trucks, I know damn well I'll be watching.

 

[Cody Ficker]

Justin Lofton reduces NASCAR schedule next season to focus on Stadium Truck Series championship

Justin Lofton finally emerged as a NASCAR championship contender last season, leading the Truck Series standings for three weeks and even won his first career race at Charlotte. But bad luck and inconsistency down the stretch derailed his momentum and dropped him to eighth in the final rundown.

Despite tasting his first bit of success, Lofton has decided to scale back his NASCAR schedule next season, instead focusing his title aspirations towards the newly-formed Stadium Super Trucks Series organized by Robby Gordon.

Before moving to NASCAR, Lofton fancied a career in off-road racing. His background and long-time friendship with Gordon helped the Stadium Truck deal come together pretty quickly.

“This is going to be cool,” Lofton told SB Nation over the phone on Friday. “I’ve known Robby Gordon for a long time and this is something he’s wanted to do for as long as I remember. We grew up doing this and it’s something I have a passion for.”

The Stadium Super Truck Series is 12-race rally-style tour that will contest events on temporary circuits constructed on some of the largest stadium venues in the United States. Rallies will be contested at University of Phoenix Stadium, Soldier Field, Cowboys Stadium and the Metrodome just to name a few.

The series is aided by a tape-delay national television package between NBC and the NBC Sports Network.

According to Lofton, this isn't the end of his stock car career, but rather a new approach to retuning to NASCAR. He cited the lack of sponsorship and funding as the primary reasons he couldn’t return full-time in 2013 but believes success in off-road can catapult him back towards NASCAR.

"I want to be seen as the NASCAR driver who went over to the Stadium Truck Series and found some success," Lofton said. "Hopefully some of my NASCAR fans will follow me on this new venture and I'll take some rally fans with me when I come back to NASCAR."

Lofton hasn't finalized his 2013 NASCAR schedule yet, but expects to run at least 10 Truck Series races on tracks longer than a mile. He added that he's not overly excited about the new direction of the Truck Series with road courses, dirt and short tracks all returning to the schedule due to the costs involved with racing on those circuits.

“We found the bulk of our success on speedways,” Lofton said. “It just doesn’t make a lot of financial sense to just run one road course and dirt track because we have to build one-off trucks for those races. It’s going to be interesting to see how that works out this year.”

-SBNation Justin Lofton reduces NASCAR schedule next season to focus on Stadium Truck Series championship - SBNation.com

 

[NNS]

That seems a little silly but whatever he wants will be good, plus you never want to rush a starting up driver.

 

[Mo Neenja31]

Wish Lofton would race full time again, he has potential

 

[Devin41]

Potential yes, sponsorship not so much...thus the reason going back to something he's proven in to try and gain sponsorship to follow him back to NASCAR.

 

[Cody Ficker]

Layout of the first SST race at the University of Phoenix, April 6th.

 

[Cody Ficker]

SST debuts tonight at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Arizona. You can catch the race on NBC Sports one week from now on tape delay.

 

[Frigus5]

Nice to know NBCSN picked it up. I'll be sure to set my dvr to watch it when it airs.

 

[Cody Ficker]

If you're looking for something to chain today's action together, checkout Speed Energy Stadium Super Trucks out on NBC Sports right now. Robby Gordon just won Heat 1.

 

[Dodgeman4345]

Has anybody heard anything about NBC Sports Network about them still covering the races? I haven't seen anything since they made the schedule change. Thanks.

 

[evan07]

I havent heard anything but they havent raced in a while ether. They are racing this weekend in Toronto so it should air sometime next week. I find it ironic that the Stadium Super Truck Series wont be racing in anymore stadiums this year. I hope they can grow it and make it stronger, but I have no idea how this series is doing in terms of money.

 

[Paulcurtis]

I can shed some light on this. AFAIK, SST itself is doing well-better than expected, which is sort of what hurt them, between that, and RGM/Speed Energy's close ties to Bigfoot 4x4, the stadium venues that SST had booked were pressured to drop them by Feld Motorsports(who holds a 'monopoly' on the stadium venues for Monster Truck and Offroad related events which they guard extremely jealously. Plus, the powers that be at Feld Motorsports(Monster Jam, really been the same group of people since 1997) have a long standing grudge against BF4x4. So once it was apparent that SST wasnt going to flop, they manipulated the circumstances, probably by threating the stadiums SST had booked with pulling both Monster Jam and Monster Energy Super-cross events from those venues.

 

[Frigus5]

That's just awful...the SST puts on a better show than any Monster Jam event I've ever been to. And I've seen Monster Jam in person at the RCA Dome and Lucas Oil Stadium. I've only seen SST on television and I prefer that over Monster Jam.

 

[Paulcurtis]

yea, the people who run the business side of Monster Jam are really cutthroat, have been for a long time. That being said, Ive worked as a track official at a few Monster Jams, and they are the nicest, most professional people you'll ever meet. I guess thats the way big businesses are tho.

 

[evan07]

Well that's a shame I really liked the idea of the trucks racing in doors. It was something that isn't really offered anymore. I guess I see where the Monster Jam guys are coming from gotta protect your territory, but I was really looking forward to going to both Monster Jam and stadium trucks in Atlanta this year. They should just join up with Global Rally Cross and make a off road super series. That would be something.

 

[ShadowKnight508]

Interesting video of Justin Lofton encountering a seagull during one of his recent races:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cw6oiXmwvZc]Replay XD: Justin Lofton's close encounter at SST Toronto - YouTube[/ame]

 

[dalejrgamer]

I love how Lofton just tosses the seagull out of his truck and continues on.

 

[ThatOneShredder]

Lofton's real thoughts: AIN'T NOBODY GOT TIME FO DAT!

 

[NNS]

LOL He didn't even let out the throttle