Motor mouth

Thursday, March 1, 2001 | 10:25 a.m.

With primary sponsorships for NASCAR Winston Cup cars running as high as $15 million, drivers these days choose their words carefully and go out of their way not to be controversial.

Make that most drivers.

Robby Gordon, driver of the No. 4 Kodak Chevrolet, is one of the exceptions. The 32-year-old Southern California native has found himself in trouble with team owners and sponsors alike for his candor during his two stints in the Winston Cup Series.

"Truthfully, being outspoken or showing true personality in NASCAR Winston Cup can be a tough issue," Gordon said. "Obviously, this is an issue I have had to deal with in the past.

"You have to be careful about speaking out because of sponsorship. Some sponsors do not look kindly on it."

Larry McClure, Gordon's car owner, and Kodak have the longest-running continuous primary sponsor relationship in Winston Cup at more than 15 years.

Although McClure is well aware of what it takes to keep a sponsor happy, the veteran car owner said he prefers to have an outspoken driver piloting his car.

"I believe personalities in NASCAR that say what they think make our sport more interesting," said McClure, who employed another outspoken driver, Ernie Irvan, for four years.

"Fans have a need to see the real side of real people. These guys are not made of plastic. They get angry and have bad days, just like the rest of us. I do not think they should be a bunch of clones, walking around saying the same thing and having the same opinions."

But that's not to say McClure wants his driver shooting from the lip at the drop of a hat.

"We have to take care of sponsors," McClure said. "Each person on the Morgan-McClure Motorsports team acts as a spokesperson for the team, Kodak, our associate sponsors, Chevrolet and NASCAR.

"We have parameters to follow. That is not to say that every person is a perfect individual that says the proper thing and acts the proper way every minute of the day. Nobody on earth fits into that category."

Gordon, who owned his own team last season before going to work for McClure, admits he has a delicate balancing act in being himself and saying what he feels and trying to placate his sponsor.

"Kodak is a premier sponsor in the Cup series," Gordon said. "I am working hard to get back some of the respect I might have lost by being outspoken on issues. By owning a team last season, I have learned how important it is to carry the proper image for a sponsor."

McClure said he sees a lot of similarities between Gordon and Irvin, who won seven races for Morgan-McClure Racing from 1990-1993.

"Robby Gordon is young, aggressive and fearless," McClure said. "Ernie Irvan was like that. Robby can be like a firecracker sometimes. He speaks his mind and that gets him into hot water on occasion, but he will learn to contain it a little.

"If he has an outspoken opinion on an issue, I do not have a problem with him voicing it ... as long as it is not detrimental to anyone associated with Morgan-McClure or the sponsors or NASCAR. It is a fine line to follow, but I believe the stars of our sport can be individuals who show individuality."

Now that he is driving for a team with a high-profile sponsor, Gordon was asked if he would tone down his act this season.

"I might try to bite my tongue a little harder from now on, but that is not a promise," he said. "Come on, I am only human."

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