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Jeff Gordon Profile |
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Birth Date:
August 4, 1971
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Birth Place: Vallejo, California, USA
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Birth
Name: Jeffery Michael Gordon
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Height:
5'8"
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Biography |
Jeff Gordon 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.
Gordon poses with the Winston Cup trophy he won on four
occasions.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.
In 2004, Gordon was denied a 5th Nextel Cup championship due
to a points system change by NASCAR, and finished 3rd,
behind Kurt Busch and Jimmie Johnson.
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,
Gordon's Car Chief, replaced Loomis as Crew Chief effective
at New Hampshire International Speedway on September 18th,
2005 and for the 2006 Nextel Cup Season.
Jeff Gordon failed to qualify for Chase for the Nextel Cup
in 2005 due to disappointing finish at Richmond after a last
minute run to attempt to make the Chase in the last 5 races
before Richmond. Gordon also had very inconsistent results
throughout the season, despite a victory at Daytona. Because
of this, and Ari's lack of respect for Tony Stewart, Gordon
ended up missing the Chase. On October 23th, 2005 Jeff
Gordon won the Subway 500 at Martinsville Speedway. It was
his first win in 22 points races. He went on to finish 11th
in the Championship and received a $1,000,000 bonus. |
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Other
Information |
Pit Crew nicknamed "The Rainbow Warriors"
Scored Hendrick Motorsports 100th Victory.
Won 2 Daytona 500's
Won 60+ NASCAR Nextel Cup Races
Became the youngest driver in Winston Cup history to achieve
50 career wins.
Was the first driver ever to win Rookie Of The Year in both
the Busch Series and the Winston Cup Series.
Won 4 NASCAR Winston Cup Championships (1995, 1997, 1998,
2001), joining Richard Petty & Dale Earnhardt as one of only
three drivers to win more than three championships.
Has starred in several Pepsi commercials and has his own car
dealership in Charlotte, NC, called Jeff Gordon Chevrolet.
Has his own book out entitled "Portrait of a Champion" that
highlights his phenomenal 1997 Championship. Also has been
in several Frito Lay commercials, some featuring his wife.
Has a leukemia patient down in the pits at every race.
Raced the Brickyard 400 in a car painted as a tribute to the
50th anniversary of Peanuts. Gordon's "copilots" were
Woodstock, Joe Cool and Snoopy's WWI Flying Ace. [5 August
2000]
As of March, 2000, Gordon has won four Winston Cup
championships, 58 races and more than $45 million in prize
money.
Raced the Busch Grand National Carquest Auto Parts 300 in a
car painted the promote Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom
Menace (1999). His "copilots" were Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan
Kenobi and Darth Maul. [26 May 1999]
Has countersued his wife, the former Jennifer Brooke Sealey,
for divorce in Palm Beach County (FL) Circuit Court, saying
he should not have to equally split the couple's estate, as
per her request, because he risked his life to collect it.
[10 April 2002]
Made "People" Magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People in 1997.
Reached a settlement that guarantees his now-former wife,
Jennifer Brooke Sealy, at least $15.3 million. Sealy filed
for divorce on 17 March 2002 after seven years of marriage,
citing marital discord. (13 June 2003)
The night after winning the first-ever Brickyard 400 in
Indianapolis in 1994, he called a pizza delivery place from
his hotel room and was told it would be a hour or two before
he got his food because of the race. His replay to the pizza
delivery worker was, "Well, will it help any if I'm the
*winner* of that race?" He got his delivery within minutes.
The driver who holds the most second place finishes when he
wins is Bobby Labonte.
Won his third career Daytona 500 in 2005 for his 70th career
win in the Nextel Cup Series.
Won 2005 Daytona 500
Together with Casey Mears and Jamie McMurray, had a small,
non-credited part in a "The West Wing" (1999) episode: "365
Days". His picture for 2004's Chase for the Nextel Cup was
shown to the first lady (Stockard Channing) as one of the
reasons women love NASCAR.
Engaged to Ingrid Vandebosch [August 30, 2006].
Daughter, Ella Sofia, born 20 June 2007. She weighed 7 lbs,
1 oz, and was 20 inches long. |
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