Biography
Jeffery Michael Gordon (born August 4, 1971) is an American race car driver. He was born in Vallejo, California, raised in Pittsboro, Indiana, and currently lives in Charlotte, North Carolina. He is a four-time NASCAR Winston Cup (now NEXTEL Cup) Series champion, three-time Daytona 500 winner, and driver of the #24 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS/Impala SS. His primary sponsor is DuPont, though he occasionally drives a Pepsi-themed car or a Nicorette-themed car. His other sponsors include Quaker State, Haas, GMAC, Bosch Spark Plugs, and Georgia-Pacific/Sparkle. He, along with Rick Hendrick, are the co-owners of the #48 Lowe's sponsored team, driven by Jimmie Johnson, the 2006 NEXTEL Cup series champion. Gordon also has an equity stake in his own #24 team.
Jeff Gordon began racing at the age of five with quarter midgets.[1] According to his step-father John, it was Jeff's idea, one his family fully supported. Gordon's family moved from Vallejo, California to Pittsboro, Indiana, not just for the racing opportunities in general, but especially those for younger 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 in 1991 and 1992, driving for Bill Davis Racing (with whom he set a NASCAR record by capturing 11 poles in one season) with Ray Evernham as his crew chief. Coincidentally, Gordon's first NASCAR Winston Cup Series race, the 1992 Hooters 500 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway, was also the final race for Richard Petty. He went on to finish 31st, crashing after 164 laps of competition.
In 1993, Gordon raced his first full season in Winston Cup for Hendrick Motorsports, in which he won a Daytona 500 qualifying race, the Rookie of the Year award, and finished 14th in points. Gordon's success in the sport reshaped the paradigm and eventually gave younger drivers an opportunity to compete in NASCAR. However, during the 1993 season, many doubted Gordon's ability to compete at such a level at such a young age because of his tendency to push the cars too hard and crash.
In 1994, the critics were silenced when Jeff Gordon collected his first career victory at the Lowe's Motor Speedway in the Coca Cola 600, NASCAR's longest and most demanding race. Additionally, Gordon scored a popular hometown victory at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the inaugural Brickyard 400, passing Ernie Irvan for the lead late in the race when Irvan cut down a tire. 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 five drivers to have four victories at the historic track. Gordon also broke the domination that Dale Earnhardt, Incorporated's #8 and #15 teams held over the restrictor plate tracks in NASCAR since 2001, establishing himself as a favorite to win on the tracks where so many teams struggle to even finish races. He also is one of the most successful drivers at road course races such as Infineon and Watkins Glen.
Gordon is regarded as one of NASCAR's best drivers because he achieved so much at such a young age. At thirty five, Gordon has accumulated 78 NEXTEL Cup victories, surpassed Dale Earnhardt's mark of 76 wins, and is currently sixth on the all-time wins list. Many observers also credit Gordon with moving NASCAR from its regional southeastern roots to national level of popularity, both through his media savvy and through lucrative advertising deals that put Gordon's face, team, and brand into the public spotlight.
Ray Evernham was placed as Jeff Gordon's first crew chief and many say their chemistry is the reason for Gordon's great early success. The way the two got along grew through the years and in 1999 the two went into business together. In 1999, Gordon/Evernham Motorsports was formed. Though short lived, the race team enjoyed success. The co-owned team received a full sponsorship from Pepsi and ran six races with Jeff Gordon as driver and Ray Evernham as crew chief in the NASCAR Busch Series. GEM only survived one year as Evernham was pulled away by Dodge. Jeff Gordon extended his Busch experiment one more year, through 2000 as co-owner, with Rick Hendrick buying Evernham's half. After the departure of Evernham, the race team was renamed JG Motorsports.
PO Box 100
Melbourne, FL 32902
phone (866) JEFF GORDON or (866-533-3467)
website: www.jeffgordon.com
single: $19.99, plus $5.99 shipping and handling
family: $29.99 per year, plus $6.99 shipping
#24 Jeff Gordon
DuPont Chevy
Hendrick Motosports
7700 Hyde's Way
Charlotte, NC 28262
(704) 455-3400
(704) 455-7429 Fax
Website: hendrickmotorsports.com
Jeff Gordon Video
Jeff Gordon wins the 2004 Aaron's 499 at Talladega
