Jeff Gordon

Lore & Background

Gordon is a four-time Cup Series champion, having won the title in 1995, 1997, 1998, and 2001, the only driver to have won more than 3 championships that has won less than 7. He also won the Daytona 500 three times in 1997, 1999, and 2005. Gordon has completed three career Grand Slams and has won a total of sixteen Crown Jewel races (three Daytona 500s, four Talladega 500s, three Coca-Cola 600s, and six Southern 500s), both of which are all-time records.

Gordon is third on the all-time Cup wins list with 93 career wins, while having the record for the most wins in NASCAR's modern era (1972–present) and the most wins in one modern era season, with thirteen during the 1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series. Gordon's 81 pole positions led all active drivers and are third all-time, and also a modern era record; Gordon won at least one pole in 23 consecutive seasons, making this a NASCAR record. Other records include the most restrictor plate track wins with twelve and the most road course wins with nine, and he was the active 'iron man' leader for consecutive races participated in with 797 through the 2015 season.

In 1998, NASCAR named Gordon to its 50 Greatest Drivers list. Ten years later in a 2008 article, ESPN's Terry Blount ranked him tenth in the 25 Greatest Drivers of All-Time. Foxsports.com named him as the fifth best NASCAR driver of all time. He was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2019.

As of 2016, Gordon was considered the highest-paid NASCAR driver ever and the 18th highest-paid athlete of all-time with $515 million in career earnings, per Forbes.

Reader's Guide

Gordon started his professional racing career in the Busch Series with Hugh Connerty Racing, followed by Bill Davis Racing, winning three races, and began racing full-time in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series for Hendrick Motorsports in 1993. Gordon, along with Rick Hendrick, co-owns the No.48 Chevrolet previously driven by Jimmie Johnson, who won seven Cup championships from 2006 to 2010, 2013, and in 2016. Gordon also has an equity stake in the No.24 team. Gordon also owned a Busch Series team between 1999 and 2000, Gordon/Evernham Motorsports (co-owned with Ray Evernham; later solely owned as JG Motorsports), winning twice.

Did You Know?

• Gordon is of Scotch-Irish descent and was born in Vallejo, California.
• Gordon made his Winston Cup debut in the 1992 Hooters 500 at Atlanta, finishing 31st after a crash.

Early Life and Formative Years

Jeffery Michael Gordon was born August 4, 1971, in Vallejo, California, to Carol Ann Bickford (née Houston) and William Grinnell Gordon. His parents divorced when he was six months old, and his mother married John Bickford in the 1970s. He has an older sister, Kim, and a younger cousin, James Bickford. The family moved from Vallejo to Pittsboro, Indiana, to support his racing career. Gordon began riding BMX at four and raced quarter midgets at five, winning 35 main events and setting five track records by age six. He won 51 quarter midget races in 1979 and all 25 karting races he entered at age eleven. After briefly switching to waterskiing, he returned to driving. In 1986, he began racing sprint cars, earning a USAC license at sixteen as the youngest driver ever. He won the Night Before the 500 midget race in 1989 and 1990, and captured the USAC Silver Crown title in 1991 at age 20.

NASCAR Dominance and Records

Gordon's NASCAR career began with a Busch Series debut on October 20, 1990, at North Carolina Motor Speedway, where he finished 39th after a wreck. He raced full-time in the Busch Series for Bill Davis Racing in 1991 and 1992, winning Rookie of the Year and setting a record with eleven poles in 1992. In Cup Series competition, he won four championships (1995, 1997, 1998, 2001) and three Daytona 500s (1997, 1999, 2005). He achieved sixteen Crown Jewel wins, a record comprising three Daytona 500s, four Talladega 500s, three Coca-Cola 600s, and six Southern 500s. His 93 career Cup wins are third all-time but lead the modern era. He also holds records for most restrictor plate wins (12), most road course wins (9), and most poles in one season (13 in 1998). His pole streak of 23 consecutive seasons remains a NASCAR record.

Legacy and Financial Impact

Recognized as one of the greatest drivers ever, Gordon was named to NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers list in 1998. In 2008, ESPN's Terry Blount ranked him tenth among the 25 Greatest Drivers of All-Time, while Foxsports.com placed him fifth. He was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2019. Financially, he was considered the highest-paid NASCAR driver ever as of 2016, with $515 million in career earnings according to Forbes, making him the 18th highest-paid athlete of all-time at that time. His influence helped bring NASCAR into mainstream popularity during the 1990s and 2000s.

Ownership and Post-Driving Career

Gordon currently serves as vice chairman of Hendrick Motorsports. He co-owns the No. 48 Chevrolet, previously driven by seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson (championships in 2006–2010, 2013, 2016), and holds an equity stake in the No. 24 team. Between 1999 and 2000, he co-owned Gordon/Evernham Motorsports in the Busch Series with Ray Evernham; after Evernham left, Rick Hendrick bought his share, and the team became JG Motorsports. The team won twice: at the Outback Steakhouse 200 in Phoenix (1999) and Homestead (2000). Although he retired from full-time competition after 2015, Gordon returned as a substitute driver for Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the No. 88 Chevrolet for select races during the 2016 season.