Fast Facts: Jeff Gordon

Jeff Gordon is a four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion and sits third in all-time Cup Series wins. Here are a few fast facts on the driver of the No. 24 Drive to End Hunger/Dupont/ Pepsi Chevrolet Impala for Hendrick Motorsports.

Credit: Debbie Ross for Skirts and Scuffs

• Jeffrey Michael Gordon was born August 4th, 1971 in Vallejo, California. He started racing quarter midgets at age 5, and his family later moved to Indiana so he could pursue sprint car racing. In 1989, Gordon was named the USAC Midget Series Rookie of the Year, followed in 1990 by the national Midget title and in 1991 by the USAC Silver Crown title.
• Gordon made his NASCAR debut late in 1990 in the Nationwide Series, and in 1991 he was the series’ Rookie of the Year. In the final Cup Series race of 1992, Gordon made his debut in the No. 24 for Hendrick Motorsports. That race is often seen as a “changing of the guard,” as it was not only Gordon’s debut but the final race in the career of Richard Petty.
• Gordon won the Cup Series Rookie of the Year title in 1993, and in 1994 won his first race, the Coca Cola 600; he also won the inaugural Brickyard 400 that year. Gordon went on to win four Cup Series titles (1995, 1997, 1998 and 2001), three Daytona 500s (1997, 1999 and 2005), four Brickyard 400s (1994, 1998, 2001 and 2004) and three All-Star Races (1995, 1997 and 2001).
• In September 2011 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Gordon earned his 85th career win in the Sprint Cup Series, moving him into sole possession of third place on the all-time wins list, behind only Petty and David Pearson.
• Gordon married the former Ingrid Vandebosch on November 7th, 2006. They have two children, Ella Sofia and Leo Benjamin. In 1999, he established the Jeff Gordon Children’s Foundation to support children facing life-threatening and chronic illnesses.
• Find out more about Jeff Gordon at www.jeffgordon.com.