Jeff Gordon
Template:NASCAR current driver
Jeffrey Michael Gordon (born August 4, 1971 in Vallejo, California) is a four-time NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series champion and driver of the #24 Chevrolet Monte Carlo. His sponsors include DuPont, Pepsi, Frito-Lay, Quaker State, SDRC, AC Delco, Rain-X, Slick 50, Haas, GMAC, Delphi Automotive, and Lowe's.
Jeff Gordon was a racing child prodigy. Gordon began racing when he was about four years old. According to his step-father racing was Jeff's idea. It may have been Jeff's idea, but his family fully supported him. Gordon's family moved to Indiana just for the racing opportunities available for drivers in general but especially for minor-aged drivers. Before the age of 18 Gordon had already won three short-track races and was awarded USAC Midget Car Racing Rookie of the Year in 1989. The next year Gordon won the USAC Midget title. In 1991, Gordon moved up to the USAC Silver Crown and at the age of 20 became the youngest driver to win the title. Gordon then went on to spend two successful years in the NASCAR Busch Series (he set a NASCAR record by capturing 11 poles in one season). Coincidentally, almost symbolically, Gordon's first Winston Cup race, the 1992 Hooters 500 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway, was also the final race for Richard Petty. In 1993, Gordon raced a full season in the Winston Cup for Hendrick Motorsports, he won the Rookie of the Year award. Finally, in 1995, at the age of 24, Gordon won the first of four NASCAR Winston Cup Championships. There are only two other drivers with more than four Cup titles: Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt (both had seven titles). In 2004, Gordon also became the only NASCAR driver with four Brickyard 400 victories at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and one of only four drivers to have four victories at the historic track.
Gordon is widely regarded as the best active driver in NASCAR because he achieved so much through sheer talent at such a young age. He currently has 73 Nextel Cup victories and has yet to pass Dale Earnhardt's 76 wins, or Darrell Waltrip's modern-era NASCAR record of 84. It is also thought by many that he opened NASCAR up to the rest of the nation; before Gordon's success in NASCAR, the sport and organization was not popular outside of the Southeast United States. Gordon is still one of the best known drivers in NASCAR.
Fan reaction to Gordon's continuing success has been sharply divided. Gordon remains popular in his home state of Indiana and his birth state of California, but is often booed by fans in the deep South.
Gordon was married to Brooke Gordon (also known as Brooke Sealy) who was Miss Winston in 1992. Their marriage ended in a very public and bitter divorce in 2003.
Gordon has also participated in some off-road events, including a winning drive with Team USA at the 2002 Race of Champions. He was slated to run it again in 2004 against Formula 1 Champion Michael Schumacher but was sidelined by the flu, and Casey Mears took his place.
On February 20, 2005 Jeff Gordon won the Daytona 500 for the third time. He previously won "The Great American Race" in 1997 and 1999.
Gordon even became a subject in Nelly's second hit song "E.I." A passage from the rapper's 2000 hit goes:
- I drive fastly, call me Jeff Gordon
- In a black S.S. with the navigation
Jeff Gordon failed to qualify for Chase for the Nextel Cup in 2005, after a disappointing finish at Richmond. This came after Gordon was denied a 5th Nextel Cup championship in 2004 due to a points system change by NASCAR, and a last minute run to attempt to make the Chase in the last 5 races before Richmond.
Effective September 14th, 2005 Crew Chief Robbie Loomis resigned from #24 team. Loomis will stay on with Hendrick Motorsports as a consultant for Jimmie Johnson's #48 team through the Chase for The Nextel Cup. Steve Letarte, Gordons' Car Chief replaced Loomis as Crew Chief effective at NHIS on September 18th, 2005 and for the 2006 Nextel Cup Season.
On October 23th, 2005 Jeff Gordon won the Subway 500 at Martinsville Speedway. It is his first win in 22 points races. His last win was the Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway on May 1st 2005.