Irvan-Simo Racing and Team Gordon Agreement

Irvan-Simo Racing and Team Gordon have joined forces to run a full 34-race schedule of NASCAR Winston Cup races in 2000. The joint venture will see driver Robby Gordon of Orange, Calif., return to Winston Cup racing in the No. 13 Ford Taurus designed and built by Irvan-Simo Racing.

Lee Morse, president of Irvan-Simo Racing, will manage the joint program from the team's Mooresville, N.C., headquarters. Team co- owner Ernie Irvan of Mooresville will oversee the team's technical development and co-owner Mark Simo of Carlsbad, Calif., will continue to direct Irvan-Simo's business and commercial operations.

Ernie Irvan, co-owner, Irvan-Simo Racing

"I'm looking forward to the growth experience, and to helping Robby become a better Winston Cup driver. Helping him with his goals is helping us to make our goals for 2001. To be able to use our people and grow with the team is great.

"A key thing that brought Robby into this operation was our organization. The biggest selling point was our employees, the structure we have with the employees, the equipment, the building and everything. We have a really good team and they all work together. Having key people like that will help us to succeed with Robby."

Mark Simo, co-owner, Irvan-Simo Racing

"We started Irvan-Simo Racing with an engineering mindset. We were going to learn to be competitive by developing our own technological capabilities, by building our own engines and our own chassis, to try and create a proprietary knowledge that would give us a competitive advantage.

"This joint operation with Team Gordon will be a great opportunity for us to continue to develop our engineering base and expand our capabilities to develop and build our own race cars and engines. It just accelerates the program and increases our potential."

Mike Held, co-owner, Team Gordon

"Part of our attraction to Irvan-Simo was the past relationship that Robby has with Lee Morse. But in addition, [engineer] Doug Louth and [crew chief] Jerry Baxter provide, in our minds, the key ingredients to a solid foundation for the future in Winston Cup. We think the future will be based on how you can develop your team around a real strong technical background."