Jeff Gordon facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jeff Gordon
Gordon at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2024
Born	Jeffery Michael Gordon (1971-08-04) August 4, 1971 (age 55) Vallejo, California, U.S.
Height	5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Weight	150 lb (68 kg)
Achievements	As Driver: 1995, 1997, 1998, 2001 Winston Cup Series Champion 2017 Rolex 24 at Daytona Overall Winner 1991 USAC Silver Crown Series Champion 1990 USAC National Midget Series Champion 1997, 1999, 2005 Daytona 500 winner 1994, 1998, 2001, 2004, 2014 Brickyard 400 winner 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2007 Southern 500 winner 1994, 1997, 1998 Coca-Cola 600 winner 1995, 1997, 2001 Sprint All-Star Race winner 1994, 1997 Advance Auto Parts Clash winner As Owner: 2021, 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Champion
Awards	1991 Busch Series Rookie of the Year 1993 Winston Cup Series Rookie of the Year Named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers (1998) Named one of NASCAR's 75 Greatest Drivers (2023) National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame (2009) Silver Buffalo Award (2009) Heisman Humanitarian Award (2012) Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (2018) NASCAR Hall of Fame (2019) West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame (2019) See other awards and honors below
NASCAR Cup Series career
805 races run over 25 years
Best finish	1st (1995, 1997, 1998, 2001)
First race	1992 Hooters 500 (Atlanta)
Last race	2016 Goody's Fast Relief 500 (Martinsville)
First win	1994 Coca-Cola 600 (Charlotte)
Last win	2015 Goody's Headache Relief Shot 500 (Martinsville)
Wins Top tens Poles 93 477 81
NASCAR Xfinity Series career
73 races run over 5 years
Best finish	4th (1992)
First race	1990 AC-Delco 200 (Rockingham)
Last race	2000 Miami 300 (Homestead)
First win	1992 Atlanta 300 (Atlanta)
Last win	2000 Miami 300 (Homestead)
Wins Top tens Poles 5 32 12
Statistics current as of August 22, 2026.

Jeffery Michael Gordon (born August 4, 1971) is an American stock car racing leader and former championship race driver. He is the vice chairman of the famous team Hendrick Motorsports.

Gordon raced full-time from 1993 to 2015 in the highest level of NASCAR, driving the iconic No. 24 Chevrolet. He returned briefly in 2016 as a substitute driver for his friend Dale Earnhardt Jr. He won four Cup Series championships in 1995, 1997, 1998, and 2001.

Gordon is third on the all-time victory list with 93 career Cup wins. That is the highest win total in NASCAR's modern racing era. He also won the famous Daytona 500 three times. He was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2019.

Early Life and Childhood Racing Career

Jeff Gordon was born in Vallejo, California. His parents are Carol Ann Bickford and William Grinnell Gordon. His mother later married John Bickford, who became Jeff's stepfather. Jeff grew up with an older sister named Kim.

When Jeff was just four years old, his stepfather bought him a small BMX bicycle. Jeff loved speed and began driving tiny race cars called quarter midgets at age five. His very first race took place at the Roy Hayer Memorial Race Track in Rio Linda, California.

By the time he was six years old, Gordon had already won 35 main races. In 1979, at age eight, he won 51 quarter midget races. When he was eleven, he won all 25 go-kart races he entered. He briefly tried waterskiing at age twelve before returning to racing.

Moving to Indiana for Sprint Cars

Gordon began racing full-size sprint cars at age fourteen. Sprint cars are powerful, lightweight open-wheel cars that slide around dirt tracks. California laws required drivers to be older to compete in these fast cars.

To help Jeff chase his dream, the family moved across the country to Pittsboro, Indiana. In Indiana, young drivers could compete on famous dirt ovals. Gordon attended Tri-West Hendricks High School in Lizton, Indiana, running on the school cross country team until he graduated in 1989.

Gordon became the youngest driver to earn a license from the United States Auto Club (USAC) at age sixteen. In 1989, he won the USAC Midget Rookie of the Year award. In 1990, he won the national USAC Midget Championship. In 1991, at age twenty, he won the prestigious USAC Silver Crown title.

Entering NASCAR Racing

Busch Series Success

Gordon's Bill Davis Racing Busch Series car on display in the Martin Auto Museum

In 1990, Gordon met team owner Hugh Connerty, who gave him his first chance in a stock car. Gordon made his debut in the Busch Series (now the Xfinity Series) at Rockingham Speedway. Crew chief Ray Evernham worked with Gordon for the very first time during this weekend.

In 1991, Gordon joined Bill Davis Racing to drive Ford Thunderbirds full-time. He won the NASCAR Rookie of the Year award in 1991. The next year, in 1992, he set a series record by earning eleven pole positions (starting first on the grid) and won three races.

Gordon later owned a Busch Series team called Gordon/Evernham Motorsports (later JG Motorsports). Gordon drove part-time for his own team, winning races at Phoenix in 1999 and Homestead in 2000.

Joining Hendrick Motorsports in the Cup Series

Team owner Rick Hendrick noticed Gordon sliding his car sideways around Atlanta Motor Speedway in 1992. Hendrick was amazed by the young driver's control and signed him immediately. Gordon made his Cup Series debut on November 15, 1992, at the 1992 Hooters 500 in Atlanta. That famous race was also the final race for racing legend Richard Petty.

Gordon began his first full season in 1993, driving the No. 24 Chevrolet with crew chief Ray Evernham. His pit crew became known as the "Rainbow Warriors" because of the bright, multi-colored paint scheme on their car. Gordon won the 1993 Rookie of the Year title.

On May 29, 1994, Gordon scored his very first Cup victory at the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte. Later that summer, he won the inaugural Brickyard 400 at the legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway in front of his home-state fans.

NASCAR Championship Years

Gordon with his 1995 trophy

First Championship in 1995

Gordon had a historic season in 1995. He won seven races, including the prestigious Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. Gordon fought closely with seven-time champion Dale Earnhardt all year long. Gordon stayed consistent and won his first NASCAR Winston Cup championship at age 24. He was the youngest champion of NASCAR's modern era.

Dominant Title Runs in 1997 and 1998

In 1996, Gordon won ten races, but finished second in the final standings to his teammate Terry Labonte by just 37 points.

Gordon bounced back in 1997 by winning his first Daytona 500. He won ten races that year and captured the "Winston Million" bonus by winning three of NASCAR's four biggest races in a single season. Gordon won his second Cup championship at the season finale.

The 1998 season was one of the most dominant performances in sports history. Gordon won thirteen races, tying the modern-era record. He scored four wins in a row during the summer and finished in the top five in seventeen consecutive events. Gordon earned his third championship title by a massive 364-point lead over Mark Martin.

Fourth Championship in 2001

In 1999, Evernham left Hendrick Motorsports to start his own team. Gordon proved he could keep winning, scoring his second Daytona 500 victory in 1999. In 2000, Robbie Loomis became his new crew chief.

In 2001, Gordon won six races and took his fourth NASCAR Cup championship. He beat runner-up Tony Stewart by 344 points. Gordon became only the third driver in NASCAR history to win four or more championships, joining Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt.

Later NASCAR Career and Records

Gordon after his victory at Phoenix in 2011

Chasing Titles in the Nextel and Sprint Cup Eras

In 2004, NASCAR introduced a playoff system called the Chase for the Cup. Gordon won five races in 2004 and six races in 2007. Under the old full-season points system, Gordon's incredible consistency in 2007 would have easily won him another title, but he finished second in the Chase behind his teammate Jimmie Johnson.

In 2011, Gordon teamed up with crew chief Alan Gustafson. Gordon won three races that season, including his 85th career Cup victory at Atlanta. That victory pushed him past Darrell Waltrip for the most modern-era wins in NASCAR history.

Final Full-Time Seasons and Retirement

Gordon at the 2016 Brickyard 400, his first race since his retirement

In 2014, Gordon won four races, including a record fifth victory at the Brickyard 400.

Gordon announced that 2015 would be his final full-time racing season. In November 2015, he took his 93rd and final career victory at Martinsville Speedway. That exciting win placed him into the Championship Four round at Homestead-Miami Speedway, where he finished third in the final standings.

Gordon set an extraordinary "Iron Man" record by starting 797 consecutive NASCAR Cup races from 1992 through 2015. He never missed a single scheduled race during his 23-year full-time career. In 2016, he returned for eight races to help Hendrick Motorsports as a substitute driver for Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Other Racing Accomplishments

Gordon proved his skills in many different styles of auto racing around the world.

Sports Car Racing and the Rolex 24

Gordon raced in the famous 24 Hours of Daytona endurance race twice:

• In 2007, he drove for Wayne Taylor Racing in a Pontiac prototype, finishing third overall.
• In 2017, he returned with Wayne Taylor Racing in a Cadillac DPi-V.R. Gordon and his teammates won the race overall. Gordon became one of only four drivers in history to win both the Daytona 500 and the Rolex 24.

Race of Champions and Formula One Test

Gordon represented Team USA in the international Race of Champions multiple times. In 2002, Gordon teamed with Jimmie Johnson and motorcycle champion Colin Edwards to win the Nations Cup title in Spain.

In June 2003, Gordon took part in a special car swap at Indianapolis with Formula One driver Juan Pablo Montoya. Gordon drove Montoya's Williams FW24 Grand Prix car and posted very fast lap times.

Broadcasting Career and Team Leadership

Gordon and Darrell Waltrip during a pre-race broadcast at the 2016 Daytona 500

After stepping out of the race car, Gordon joined Fox Sports as a television race commentator. From 2016 to 2021, he worked alongside Mike Joy and Darrell Waltrip in the broadcast booth for NASCAR Cup Series events.

Gordon also stepped into team ownership and executive leadership. He co-owned the No. 48 car driven by Jimmie Johnson, celebrating seven championships together. In 2022, Gordon became the vice chairman of Hendrick Motorsports, helping run the entire racing organization.

Personal Life and Charity Work

Family

Gordon with first wife Brooke

Gordon married his first wife, Brooke Sealey, in 1994, and the couple later divorced in 2003.

In 2006, Gordon married model and actress Ingrid Vandebosch in Mexico. They have two children: a daughter named Ella Sofia (born in 2007) and a son named Leo Benjamin (born in 2010). The family lives in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Jeff Gordon Children's Foundation

In 1999, Gordon founded the Jeff Gordon Children's Foundation. The charity supports pediatric cancer research and helps children facing serious health conditions. In 2006, the Jeff Gordon Children's Hospital opened at Atrium Health Cabarrus in North Carolina.

Gordon also joined other top athletes—including Tony Hawk, Andre Agassi, and Mia Hamm—to establish Athletes for Hope, an organization encouraging athletes to volunteer and help communities.

Business Ventures

Jeff Gordon 24 Energy cans

Gordon has been involved in several businesses outside of racing:

• He has owned the Jeff Gordon Chevrolet car dealership in Wilmington, North Carolina, since 1998.
• He created racing simulators and helped start a fan driving experience school.
• He has worked with companies including Axalta Coating Systems, PepsiCo, and Chevrolet.

Career Achievements and Honors

Gordon drove this 2015 Corvette Z06 as the honorary pace car driver for the 99th Indianapolis 500.

Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Transportation Gene Conti and Gordon unveiling a sign for the Jeff Gordon Expressway

Gordon with a commemorative wine bottle celebrating his wins at Sonoma Raceway

Major Awards and Halls of Fame

• 4-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion (1995, 1997, 1998, 2001)
• 3-time Daytona 500 Winner (1997, 1999, 2005)
• 5-time Brickyard 400 Winner (1994, 1998, 2001, 2004, 2014)
• 6-time Southern 500 Winner (1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2007)
• Named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers (1998)
• Named one of NASCAR's 75 Greatest Drivers (2023)
• Inducted into the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame (2009)
• Inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (2018)
• Inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame (2019)

Landmarks Named After Gordon

• Jeff Gordon Boulevard: A road renamed in his honor in Pittsboro, Indiana in 1999.
• Jeff Gordon Expressway: A 1.6-mile section of Interstate 85 in North Carolina named in 2012 to celebrate his 85th victory.
• Jeff Gordon Terrace: Grandstand sections named after him at Bristol Motor Speedway and Darlington Raceway.

Motorsports Career Results

Career Summary Table

Daytona 500 Results

See also

In Spanish: Jeff Gordon para niños

• List of all-time NASCAR Cup Series winners
• List of NASCAR race wins by Jeff Gordon
• List of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champions
• List of Daytona 500 winners
• List of members of the NASCAR Hall of Fame