Max Gordon‘s father Robby founded the Stadium Super Trucks, and it is only fitting that he scored his first career victory in the series with his dad right behind.
The younger Gordon took the lead in the second half of Saturday’s Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach and never looked back as he claimed the win in his thirteenth start. Robby held off Robert Stout to complete the Gordon 1–2 finish.
A full, twelve-driver inversion of Friday’s qualifying results placed Robby Gordon at the rear after he set the fastest time and Bill Hynes on the pole. Hynes, whom announcer Ralph Sheheen remarked would use a strategy of “sneak off and run away” to his advantage, dominated much of the race by leading every lap and building a comfortable gap over the field prior to the first competition caution.
Behind Hynes, series newcomer Ryan Arciero‘s mechanical woes that plagued his Mint 400 and San Felipe 250 struck again as he dropped back, while fellow débutant Cleetus McFarland was running second when he over-used his brakes and overshot turn one on lap three; McFarland later quipped on Instagram that he “couldn’t handle the freedom and totally blew it.” Shaun Richardson spun while racing Gavin Harlien shortly before the caution.
Max Gordon and Stout tailed Hynes by the yellow, and worked in the draft to decrease his lead during the restart. Two laps after the green flag, Gordon and Stout successfully closed the gap before Hynes was swamped by the rest of the pack. Although Stout immediately became the new leader upon passing Hynes, he did not lead the lap as Gordon pushed him wide in the final hairpin for the position. In his post-race interview, Gordon explained the contact occurred after he over-revved his engine from accidentally shifting into first gear, and he capitalised on it to pass Stout on the inside.