Jeff Gordon Biography

Detailed Jeff Gordon Career Stats:

• Jeff Gordon's first Winston Cup race was the final race of 1992; Richard Petty's final race
  
• Jeff Gordon won Rookie of the Year in 1993
  
• Jeff Gordon won the Busch Clash in 1994
  
• Jeff Gordon won his first race in 1994 (Coca Cola 600 at Charlotte)
  
• Jeff Gordon was the winner of the inaugural Brickyard 400 at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway
  
• Jeff Gordon won all 3 segments of the Winston Select all star race at Charlotte in 1995
  
• Jeff Gordon won 7 races and the Winston Cup title in 1995
  
• Jeff Gordon won 10 races and finished second in points in 1996
  
• Jeff Gordon in 1996 was True Value Man of the Year for charity involvement
  
• Jeff Gordon was Premier 1996 Indiana Professional Athlete
  
• Jeff Gordon was 1997 Busch Clash winner
  
• Jeff Gordon was 1997 Daytona 500 winner
  
• Jeff Gordon was the winner of the 1997 Winston Select and the Coca-Cola at Charlotte in May
  
• Jeff Gordon was the winner of the inaugural California 500
  
• Jeff Gordon was the winner of the 1997 Winston Million
  
• Jeff Gordon was the 1997 Winston Cup Champion
  
• Jeff Gordon won his second consecutive Coca Cola 600 in 1998
  
• Jeff Gordon recorded the largest payday in racing history by winning $1.6 million at the 1998 Brickyard 400
  
• Jeff Gordon won 4 consecutive races from late July to late August 1998 tying a modern era record
  
• Jeff Gordon was the winner of the 1998 Pepsi 400; the inaugural night race at Daytona
  
• Jeff Gordon tied modern era record with 13 wins in a season
  
• Jeff Gordon was the 1998 Winston Cup Champion
  
• Jeff Gordon was the 1998 Driver of the Year
  
• Jeff Gordon was the 1999 Daytona 500 winner
  
• Jeff Gordon won a record breaking six consecutive road courses events from 1997-2000
  
• Jeff Gordon won his 50th career race at Talladega in April 2000
  
• Jeff Gordon won The Winston in a back-up car in 2001. Jeff Gordon tied Dale Earnhardt for the most victories in the event (3)
  
• Jeff Gordon became the first three-time winner of the Brickyard 400 (1994,1998,2001)
  
• Jeff Gordon with a win at Watkins Glen in 2001, became the all-time NASCAR winner on road courses with his 7th career win
  
• Jeff Gordon was the 2001 Winston Cup champion. Jeff Gordon became only the third driver to win more than three Winston Cup titles
  
• Jeff Gordon was the 2001 True Value Man of the Year for charity involvement
  
• Jeff Gordon set an all-time record with on-track winnings of $10,879,757 in 2001
  
• Jeff Gordon was the All-time NASCAR leader for on-track earnings. Currently more than $51 million
  
• Jeff Gordon tied with Cale Yarborough for the most career Southern 500 victories
  
• Jeff Gordon swept both Martinsville races from the pole position in 2003
  
• Jeff Gordon has the most victories in a stock car at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway

End of part two of Jeff Gordon Biography. 

Complete Jeff Gordon Career Highlights by Year:

• Four-time Winston Cup Champion (1995, 1997, 1998, 2001)
• Two-time Daytona 500 Winner (1997, 1999)
• Three-time Brickyard 400 Winner (1994, 1998, 2001)
• Five-time Southern 500 Winner (1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2002)
• 1997 Winston Million Winner
• Four-time Winston No Bull 5 Winner
• Three-time Champion of The Winston (1995, 1997, 2001)
• Holds a record seven road course victories

2002 - Jeff Gordon recorded three wins, including his 60th career Winston Cup win at Darlington, three poles, 13 top-five and 20 top-10 finishes. Jeff Gordon recorded his 300th career Winston Cup start at Texas and surpassed the $50 million mark for career prize winnings. Jeff Gordon led a trio of American drivers to a victory in the Race of Champions in Gran Canaria, Spain.

2001 - Jeff Gordon won the 2001 Winston Cup championship, becoming only the third driver to win four championships in a career. Jeff Gordon led the Winston Cup Series in several statistical categories: Wins (6), Poles (6), Top-5's (18), Top-10's (24), Races Led (25), Laps Led (2,032). Jeff Gordon became the first Winston Cup driver to eclipse $10 million in a single season prize winnings. Jeff Gordon also won both The Winston (Winston Cup's all-star event) and the Brickyard 400 for a third time.

2000 - Jeff Gordon became the youngest driver in Winston Cup history to achieve 50 career wins. Jeff Gordon won three races in 2000 at Talladega, Richmond, and Sears Point where he set a record for six straight road course victories. Jeff Gordon tallied 11 top-five and 21 top-10 finishes along with three poles. Jeff Gordon finished ninth in Winston Cup points.

1999 - Jeff Gordon youngest driver to win the Daytona 500 twice and finished the 1999 season with seven victories becoming the first driver to win the most races for five straight years. Jeff Gordon also won the most poles with seven and led the most laps with 1,320. Jeff Gordon finished the season sixth in points and had 18 top-five and 21 top-10 finishes.

1998 - Jeff Gordon won the 1998 NASCAR Winston Cup championship. Jeff Gordon significant accomplishments during 1998: 13 victories, seven poles, 26 top-five and 28 top-10 finishes. Jeff Gordon was the first driver to win the Brickyard 400 twice. Jeff Gordon won the Winston No Bull Five twice. Jeff Gordon tied two modern era records with 13 wins in one season and four wins in a row. Jeff Gordon won a record $6,175,867 in regular season earnings and over $9 million in overall earnings.

1997 - Jeff Gordon won the 1997 NASCAR Winston Cup championship. Jeff Gordon Significant accomplishments during 1997: 10 victories, one pole, 22 top-five and 23 top-10 finishes. Jeff Gordon was the youngest driver to win the Daytona 500. Jeff Gordon was the second driver ever to win the Winston Million. Jeff Gordon broke the regular season and overall earning records, becoming the only driver in NASCAR history to exceed $4 million ($4,201,227) in regular-season winnings and passing the $6 million mark($6,375,658) in overall earnings.

1996 - Jeff Gordon finished the 1996 season with 10 victories, five poles, 2,313 laps led and had regular-season earnings of $2,484,518 to lead in all those categories. Jeff Gordon finished second in championship points, only 37 behind teammate Terry Labonte.

1995 - Jeff Gordon in 1995 became the youngest Winston Cup Series champion in NASCAR's modern era in only his third full season. Jeff Gordon significant accomplishments during 1995: Seven victories, eight poles, 23 top-10 finishes, 2,610 laps led and $4,347,343 in overall winnings -- the most ever by any NASCAR driver.

1994 - Jeff Gordon won two Winston Cup Series races in 1994, including the inaugural Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The other victory was in NASCAR's longest race, the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Jeff Gordon won more prize money, $1,607,010, than any NASCAR driver during the 31-race season and had seven top-five and 14 top-10 finishes.

1993 - Jeff Gordon Maxx Race Cards Rookie of the Year in the Winston Cup Series, becoming the first driver ever to win rookie honors in NASCAR's two top divisions (Busch Series, 1991). Jeff Gordon won 125-mile qualifying race at Daytona in February of 1993 -- the first rookie in 30 years to accomplish that feat.

1992 - Jeff Gordon first career Winston Cup start on November 15 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The race coincidentally was Richard Petty's final Winston Cup event.

End of part three of Jeff Gordon Biography. 

Jeff Gordon Links:

Jeff Gordon.com
Four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion. Two-time Daytona 500 winner. Four-time Brickyard 400 winner. And the list goes on. Jeff Gordon has combined determination, hard work and decades of experience to achieve an unparalleled roster of victories...
http://www.jeffgordon.com

The Jeff Gordon Foundation
Dedicated to helping the needy throughout the United States. For four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon, victory lane is the place where hard work, determination and experience have combined for an amazing number of wins. Off the track, Jeff seeks to help children and their families gain their own victories over chronic and often debilitating illnesses through The Jeff Gordon Foundation.
http://www.jeffgordonfoundation.org/home.cfml

Although we couldn't find any pictures of Jeff Gordon shirtless as requested, here is a link to a site with some pictures of Jeff Gordon:

Jeff Gordon Pictures, photos, wallpaper, posters, screen savers
Jeff Gordon - Offers wallpapers, pictures, photos, screensavers. TheCelebrityPortal.com: Jeff Gordon - Pictures, information.
http://www.eforu.com/Celebrity/J/Jeff_Gordon.html

End of part four of Jeff Gordon Biography. 

Jeff Gordon Fan Club:

Jeff Gordon National Fan Club
In Loving Memory Of. Russ Harris. Founder of the Jeff Gordon National Fan Club.
http://www.jeffgordonfanclub.com

End of part five of Jeff Gordon Biography. 

Jeff Gordon News:

Gordon News
News daily about 4 Time Nascar Nextel Cup Champion Jeff Gordon. Consider it your one stop shop for all the news. Feel free to hang out, share pictures and post...
http://groups.msn.com/JeffGordonNews

Recent Interview with Jeff Gordon
DAYTONA BEACH, FL January, 11 2005

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE NEW INFIELD?
Jeff Gordon : "I'm still lost. It's definitely a big change when you've been coming here for a long time. This is my 12th season in the Cup series anyway. You get to where you work your way into these tracks and you have an area where you like to park and you know where your truck is and where you team is and everything. Today when I came in, I didn't even know if my team was here (laughs). I didn't see my car and I was on the wrong side of the garage. But it's really awesome. We've got to work a little bit on the flow of how the cars come in and out of the garage. But this is certainly beautiful. I'm trying to get coordinated with what was here before and I'm sure everybody is doing the same thing. But it's cool to be back. The off-season flew by. I can't believe I'm already in the car. But things are going well. I felt like they were going to go well based on my talks with Robbie (Loomis) and the team and the work that's been going on with our speedway car and our motors and everything. Over the off-season we felt like we built a car that was a little bit better that the car we had here in July. I felt pretty good about coming into today. So far it's going pretty well and hopefully we can keep that going."

HOW WAS YOUR TIME OFF AND WHAT IS YOUR FRAME OF MIND AFTER HOMESTEAD?
Jeff Gordon : "Rested? I'm not sure. But I definitely enjoyed the off-season. It's tough because you have a limited amount of time and you try to balance it out with fun and travel and doing things with friends. You also have the holidays and time to spend with your family. You have to relax and I always struggle with the balance of doing as much as you can but not doing so much to where I'm worn out and need a vacation when I get back from vacation. My off-season went great. I had a blast - other than getting sick up in New York. I was able to make it to St. Bart's for Jimmie Johnson's wedding and had a great time down there. And I spent time with my family for Christmas, which was great. And then I went to Aspen, Colorado for snow boarding and snowmobiling. I'm not the kind of person who gets up every morning at 8:00 am and want to put the first tracks on the slope. So I was able to relax and have some fun while I was there. After that, I was in Los Angeles for the Auto Show. So I had a good off-season, but it just went by so fast more than anything. I feel like I'm fairly well rested. And I'm planning on continuing to rest up and really get prepared for our next test, which is going to be a tough one because it's two days in Las Vegas and two days in California. Those two tracks and that many days in a row will definitely be a work out. I feel like it will get us well prepared."

WHAT'S YOUR GAME PLAN FOR A POTENTIAL 5TH CHAMPIONSHIP, AND WHO ARE YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGERS?
Jeff Gordon : "We were missing something with that last year. Now it's "drive for five in '05" and maybe this will be the year that we'll get it. How do you really pick who your challengers are? One thing I've always done and that our team always does is that we only focus on our own team and our own cars and our own program and try to do the best we can at each and every race and that we're our ultimate competitor. As long as we can do that, I think we've got a shot at it no matter who else is running good. Obviously, as good as Jimmie Johnson as been, I'd have to put him at the top of the list. I think the Roush cars have been so good the last couple of years that you've got to think that one of those guys will be strong. Dale Jr keeps getting closer and closer as well. I hate to even mention names because I think there will be a handful of names that I don't mention. Everybody picks up their program during the off-season. Things change and you just never know who is going to be competitive and who isn't."

CAN YOU COMPARE NOT WINNING IN 1996 WITH NOT WINNING IN 2004?
Jeff Gordon : "In '96, we were only battling with one guy, and last year there were two or three of us who could have won that championship. I think it was definitely more intense this past season in Homestead than any season I've been a part of. There was so much on the line. You were just pushing the car and yourself to the limits. You have to pay attention to more than just one other car and team. I'm kind of foggy in '96 and that last race. I know we were close, but it seemed like that championship was lost four or five races from the end. I know we had some trouble. I know at Charlotte we had (engine) trouble and that played a role in us losing valuable points and we were running good when that happened. So I didn't really look at it as we were going to Atlanta to take away the championship - even though we had a mathematical chance to do it. Where, at Homestead I feel like we were right there - so close - and for most of the race we were leading the points. So it was a little bit disappointing to see it finish the way it did."

AT THIS POINT IN YOUR CAREER, DO YOU FEEL YOU NEED TO STEP UP AND TAKE A LEADERSHIP ROLE IN THIS SPORT?
Jeff Gordon : "I don't feel like I have to or that there's a need to. I don't know if Dale Earnhardt consciously chose to be in that role, either. And I'm certainly no Dale. Our personalities are a lot different. He carried himself in a way that everybody respected it. He was the intimidator both on and off the race track. It's just the way he was and the way everybody reacted to him. I'm certainly nothing like that. I've always been one to leave it all to the actions on the race track or by example off the race track. I don't feel like I'm really doing anything different than I have in the past. Maybe I have a little bit more of an opinion that I don't mind sharing. I've just been around this sport and seen a lot more than I did when I first started. That just comes out sometimes. It's not just necessarily trying to be a leader. It's just being me and playing my role in the sport, whatever that is. I guess I'm just not conscious about it. If it comes out and it seems like that, it's not that I'm trying to be like that. It's just the way things have been happening for me. I will say the one thing I notice is that I sense that the way people look up to me is different. And maybe I've learned some respect through time and I certainly see that at Hendrick Motorsports. There are not a lot of people that have been at Hendrick longer than I have, and with that time comes respect and with the success we've had. When I first came in I had a lot of success very early and some people didn't think I had earned it."

DID THE OFF-SEASON LET YOU PUT LAST YEAR IN PERSPECTIVE?
Jeff Gordon : "When that race was over I thought about it for the rest of the evening about how close we were. But after that, I didn't think about it for a long time. I stepped away from it and enjoyed some time off. Then after a little bit of time went by, I started thinking about the points system and our chances to win. One of the things I've opened my eyes to be that, had the points not changed, our chances to win championships would be every few years. I feel that with the points we could win every single year. I say that because our team is very good about being in the top 10. I'm getting a little arrogant by saying that, but I think we're going to be in the top 10 more consistently than a lot of teams out there. We're going to have many chances if the points stay the same way. When we do win it, it will be much more gratifying because once you're in the Top 10; it's even harder to win it. It takes a lot of things, almost doing everything right."

WHAT IS YOUR OPINION ON PRE-SEASON TESTING?
Jeff Gordon : "I think it's crucial. The first three or four years we'd do Cup testing, I'd look forward to it. Then there was a period of time where I'd dread it. And I just realized how important it is to be behind the wheel of the car, getting laps, getting the team information. These days the information you're getting is so important. And most of that happens here but also at Vegas and California -- especially if Goodyear changes the tire or if NASCAR changes the rules a bit. Here, I think most of what we've done has already been done on the wind tunnel and in. There aren't many major things we do here. It's more fine-tuning. There aren't many major things to change like we used to do here. But it's still important and influences your chances of winning the championship."

HOW LONG DO YOU THINK YOU'LL RACE?
Jeff Gordon : "This has been brought up more and more and I do think that it's based more on time than age. I think that a number of years you're n the sport. Today, the way the sport is, because of sponsor, schedule, testing, pressure, television, fans, I think that it's taken years off of guys. I think guys that have gotten in the sport at the same age as me aren't going to go as long as guys like Rusty Wallace. I haven't put a date or time on this. We're probably going to be announcing some new sponsorships in the next year and most of the time that drives the length of how long you drive. I've always just said that if I'm healthy and enjoying myself, I'll be competitive and I'm going to do it. I can promise you I won't be doing a full-time schedule when I'm 47."

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE LONGER DUAL 125 RACES?
Jeff Gordon : "Well, we've stretched the fuel and with new fuel cells. I think we need a pit stop. As long as we have a pit stop, that's all that matters.

DO YOU FEEL YOU'RE STILL ON THE WAY UP AS FAR AS SKILL AND GROWTH IN THE SERIES?
"I think that skill and experience in these cars is key. The more they cut off the spoilers, the better us old guys are going to be. It will mean going back to springs and shocks meaning more than aero attitude. There was a time when we went through huge transitions in 2000 and maybe a bit in 2003. We learned a lot about how you set the car up and how you drove it was different. And that took me a little bit to understand whereas some of the young guys just came in and figured it out. At times like that when big changes -tires, springs, aero, whatever, it's sometimes hard to teach an old dog new tricks. But when it comes to racing, week in and out, experience is key and plays a major role in this sport and off the racetrack where it helps you balance everything out. At the same time, it wears on you. Physically I'm not in the shape I was 10 years ago but mentally I think I'm a better driver and more focused."

Chevy Auction to Benefit Tsunami Relief Efforts
DETROIT (Jan. 10, 2005) -

Chevrolet is supporting a unique benefit auction on eBay to assist Indian Ocean tsunami relief efforts.

The ultimate racing package, including an all-access trip for two to the 2005 Daytona 500, along with a 2005 Chevy SSR autographed by four-time driving champion Jeff Gordon, will be available for auction beginning Jan. 10. All proceeds will be donated to the American Red Cross International Response Fund.

The organizations supporting the tsunami relief efforts can never receive enough help, said Brent Dewar, general manager of Chevrolet. The donation of the Chevy Racing Daytona 500 experience is one way we can support the tsunami relief efforts while offering a new vehicle and a unique racing experience for a generous individual.

The person with the highest bid will receive a 2005 Chevy SSR signed by Jeff Gordon, driver of the No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet Monte Carlo.

In addition to the vehicle, the Chevy Racing Daytona 500 experience includes roundtrip coach airfare, lodging and tickets for two to the Daytona 500 on Feb. 20. The bidder and a guest will watch the Daytona 500, the Hersheys Take 5 300 on Feb. 19 and the Gatorade Duel at Daytona on Feb. 17 from the Chevrolet suite located just above the start-finish line.

Each guest will have the opportunity to take a hot lap ride on the famous Daytona International Speedway, and will receive two VIP access credentials (must be 18 years of age or older) and an escorted garage and pit tour offering a chance to meet various Chevy drivers and VIPs. The Daytona 500 weekend also includes two invitations to the exclusive Chevy Racing Daytona 500 kickoff party and two tickets to Daytona USA, the ultimate motor-sports attraction.

The winning bidder will also leave the Daytona 500 with a variety of Chevrolet motor-sport merchandise.

The 10-day auction for the Chevy Racing Daytona 500 experience begins at 12 p.m. ET on Jan. 10 with the opening bid starting at $25,000. The recipient will be determined based on the highest bid submitted by 12 p.m. ET on Jan. 20.

To place a bid or learn more about this auction item, visit www.ebay.com/gm.

The auction for the Chevrolet Racing Daytona 500 experience is one of several efforts by General Motors to provide support to the tsunami survivors. The GM Foundation has pledged $1 million in cash to the International Response Fund of the American Red Cross.

GM announced it will match up to $1 million in contributions made by GM employees to the International Response Fund of the American Red Cross, UNICEF and CARE. Additionally, GM will provide vehicles to assist in the movement of medical equipment and supplies in areas affected by the storms.

General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), the world's largest vehicle manufacturer, employs 325,000 people globally. Founded in 1908, GM has been the global automotive sales leader since 1931. GM today has manufacturing operations in 32 countries and its vehicles are sold in more than 192 countries. In 2003, GM sold nearly 8.6 million cars and trucks, about 15 percent of the global vehicle market. GM's global headquarters are at the GM Renaissance Center in Detroit. More information on GM and its products can be found on the company's consumer website at www.gm.com.