NASCAR’s Jeff Gordon – From Boy to Superstar

Jeffery Michael Gordon or Jeff Gordon as he is famously known throughout the world of fast cars was born on August 4th, 1971 in Vallejo, California and was raised in Pittsboro, Indiana. He is the proud father of Ella Sofia and the loving husband of Ingrid Vandebosch. Gordon was just five years old when he took to a makeshift racetrack that his stepfather, John Bickford, transformed in Vallejo. That was all it took to get the racing spirit in the young Gordon alive. John Bickford recalls the hours that young Gordon used to spend around the tracks while trying to get a feel for the both the track and the car. Even though young Gordon was not winning every race early on, he did not let that damper his spirits at all.

By the time he turned 6, he had already brought home the top spot for 35 main events and set new track records. It was only time until this young driver made a huge impact in the professional world of racing although he hit a speed bump when aged 13, he did not let that get in the way. The minimum age to drive 650 horsepower machines was set at 16 but after many appeals were made to the insurance companies, Gordon was racing the All Star Florida Speedweeks. Because of his enormous talent and his vast potential, his family decided to move to Pittsboro. It was where the sprint cars went to race nationally and Gordon soon found himself gaining recognition. After awhile, Gordon turned to stock car racing and converted to driving cars with fenders. He won’t three short track races and cinched the Rookie of the Year title in 1989 when he was just 19. By the time he was 20, Gordon had become the youngest driver to win the USAC Silver Crown.

His debut in the NASCAR Busch Series in 1991 proved to be eventful as he went on to bring back 11 poles in the first season of 1992. That became NASCAR history. Eventually Gordon started racing full season and in 1993, he won his first Daytona 500 qualifying race, the Rookie of the year award and 14th place. His winnings were becoming a major influence on young budding race car drivers. Gordon managed to bring home his first career victory in 1994 at the Lowe’s Motor Speedway and at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He was in the eighth position for the Winston Cup in the 1994 but he went on to win the first of the four NASCAR Winston Cup Championships in 1995.

In 1998 he bagged a total number of 13 wins in just one season. It made NASCAR and Gordon history as it was the third year in a row that he was able to win more than ten races in a single season. Throughout the years 1997 till 2000, Gordon also managed to win six consecutive road course races. And as the record stands, Gordon is currently the only NASCAR driver with four Birckyard 400 wins. He has been able to bring back the 3rd place during the 2004 NEXTEL Cup race but did not do as well for the 2005 season. Ever since then, Gordon has gone on to win more races and awards. He is truly one of the best race car drivers that NASCAR has ever witnessed and continues to awe the crowd.

Besides racing, Gordon has also made several appearances in movies, TV sitcoms and notably on NBC’s Saturday Night Live. Add to that his co-hosting skills on Live with Regis and Kelly which has come up to nine times so far. Gordon is not only ace on the race track but has also been able to captivate the entertainment industry as well.

Summary

Jeff Gordon as he is famously known throughout the world of fast cars was born in Vallejo, California and was raised in Pittsboro, Indiana. His debut in the NASCAR Busch Series in 1991 proved to be eventful as he went on to bring back 11 poles in the first season of 1992. That became NASCAR history.