Huntersville, N.C. — Robby Gordon and Ford Motor Company will be reunited in 2007 with the signing of a manufacturer agreement between Ford Racing and Gordon’s company Robby Gordon Motorsports.

Gordon effectively began his professional driving career in 1990 with Ford. Michael Kranefuss, former head of Ford Racing Technology, recruited the then 21-year-old Californian to drive off-road trucks and eventually a sports car for Jack Roush. The pairing proved fruitful with the team winning four consecutive Rolex 24 at Daytona titles from 1990-93. In addition, in his first TransAm start, Gordon scored a win from the pole at Long Beach, Calif., driving a Ford for Roush Racing in 1992.

Gordon later drove Ford cars in the Indy Car World Series for Walker Racing and fielded his own entry in 17 NASCAR Cup Series events in 2000. Gordon’s first NASCAR Cup Series race came in 1991 at the Daytona 500 where he finished 18th driving a Ford for Junie Donlavey.

“I had a lot of success with Ford early in my career, and I owe a lot to Ford,” Gordon said. “I think our Nextel Cup program is at the point now where we’re ready to take it to the next level, and Ford has pledged its complete support of helping me realize my dream of winning a NASCAR championship as an owner/driver. I believe my best days as a Nextel Cup driver are still in front of me and I also believe we have laid the groundwork for the expansion of our program.”

Like all Ford Racing supported programs, RGM will get its horsepower from the Roush/Yates Engine Company. RGM, in its second season of NASCAR Nextel Cup Series competition, will field the No. 7 Ford Fusions from a brand new facility in Charlotte that will cover more than 125,000 square feet. Site work for the new shop began Monday.

“Robby is a racer in the true sense of the word and I couldn’t be happier to see him back behind the wheel of a Ford,” Davis said.

“He’s enjoyed success wherever he’s raced, from off-road trucks to sports cars to open-wheel cars, and he’s been competitive in Nextel Cup despite being a one-car team.

“The Ford Fusion is a championship-caliber race car and with the technical support we’ll provide, I believe we can build Robby Gordon Motorsports into a championship-level team.”

In addition to RGM’s current car—the No. 7—it will at a minimum run a limited NASCAR Busch Series schedule in 2007 with hopes of campaigning a car for the Busch Series championship, and will continue efforts to field the No. 77 Nextel Cup car in 2007.

“Ford has a long history of success in Cup racing,” Gordon said. “Obviously they have been very successful recently with both Robert Yates Racing and Roush Racing, and Dan and everyone at Ford are committed to helping their teams compete for championships year-in-and-year-out and we hope we’ll be able to give them another program that they’ll be able to count on for that.”

Ford has won more than 125 NASCAR Cup Series races since 1988 and more than 550 in total, as well as three NASCAR Cup Series’ driver and three manufacturer championships since 1999.