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 was forced to retire due to a brake problem, 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. Harlien eventually suffered a transmission problem and Hynes hit a piece from Harlien’s truck as he navigated the fountain corner.
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 and overtook Hynes, who was then swamped by the rest of the pack.
“Two trucks are always faster than one,” Hynes told TCF. “If I didn’t hit that, I would have probably led going into the last caution. I would have had a mega restart if that was the case. I have a Sheldon Creed trick I’m holding back for the right time.”
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.
By the next caution, Max led Stout while Robby got by Jerett Brooks and Davey Hamilton Jr. for third.
On the ensuing restart, contact between Hamilton and Matt Brabham in turn one caused the former to spin. He was one of four drivers to go around in the race as Richardson spun again in the turn eleven hairpin as did McFarland, while Zoey Edenholm‘s cycle after the first competition yellow caused her to brush the wall though she remained in the race.
As his son led, Robby was able to pass Stout for second as they went around the fountain. Robby followed Max to the finish to complete the family top-two sweep, while Stout joined them on the podium.
In addition to being his first win and podium, Max is the youngest driver to win an SST race at just thirteen years of age. Creed, the previous record holder, was fifteen when he won at Toronto in 2013. He is also the third driver to score their first career victory at Long Beach after Justin Lofton (inaugural event in 2013, the second points race in SST history) and Harlien (2018).
“I’m more proud of him winning today than I was my first race,” Robby commented. “To do it at Long Beach and be King of the Beach is pretty cool. I grew up right the road here and loved coming to this race my whole life, and to see this little knucklehead win today is just awesome. He doesn’t even have a driver’s licence, thirteen years old, the little dude can wheel.”
The second and final race of the weekend will take place on Sunday at 3:30 PM Pacific after the NTT IndyCar Series event.
Race results
| Finish | Start | Number | Driver |
| 1 | 6 | 77 | Max Gordon |
| 2 | 12 | 7 | Robby Gordon |
| 3 | 8 | 28 | Robert Stout |
| 4 | 11 | 83 | Matt Brabham |
| 5 | 9 | 27 | Jerett Brooks |
| 6 | 10 | 55 | Gavin Harlien |
| 7 | 1 | 57 | Bill Hynes |
| 8 | 7 | 14 | Davey Hamilton Jr. |
| 9 | 3 | 12 | Shaun Richardson |
| 10 | 4 | 1776 | Cleetus McFarland |
| 11 | 2 | 21 | Zoey Edenholm |
| 12 | 5 | 32 | Ryan Arciero |
