Status: NASCAR driver. Drives the No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet Impala for Hendrick Motor Sports in the Sprint Cup Series.
Ht: 5-7 Wt: 150
Born On: August 4, 1971 In: Vallejo, California
Childhood Heroes: “I was a huge Steve Kinzer fan. I followed a lot of open-wheel racing as a kid living down on the west coast. And sprint cars were my thing. And he is ‘The man’ when it comes to that kind of racing.”
Hobbies/Interests: “I love scuba diving, bowling, boating, video games, golf, racquetball, just snow skiing. I’m a pretty active person. I like to get out and about and do a lot of fun things.”
Favorite Movies: “Yeah, I love movies. The Thomas Crown Affair is one of my favorite movies. Crimson Tide is one. I like a lot of different types of movies.”
Musical Tastes: “I’m pretty broad when it comes to that too. I like Top 40, a little Hip-hop, a little country, some chill out classic music too, every once in a while. I guess something I’ve really gotten into this past year was going on the internet and downloading music and burning my own CD’s.”
First Job: “I still don’t have a job so I’m not sure [laughs]. I guess I worked for my parents during the summer – sweeping floors. They had a machine shop. And I’d do some of the work on the machines.”
First Car: “1986 Chevy step-side pickup. Well, it was rust color when I got it, but I made it red eventually.”
Favorite Meal: “Probably a real good French meal. Man, I love sauces and things like that. I like Italian. But if I had to pick one meal, I’d want a ten-course French meal with wine and the whole deal, man [smiles]. Of course, while I was over in Spain this past winter, McDonalds was the best meal I had over there [smiles].”
Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: “Oh, without a doubt, Edy’s Rocky Road.”
Early Racing Memory: “First time I was ever in a car was in a field at a fairgrounds – in a quarter-midget that my stepdad put me into. Spinning around in circles, throwing gravel everywhere. I do not remember winning my first race. I remember going to the racetrack and flipping upside down in one of my first-ever events. I don’t really remember winning races until I was like nine or ten-years old. Then I remember winning some grand national events and some big events at the time.”
Pre-Race Feeling: “I go through different things. There’s some races I kind of have this feeling that we’re gonna win. Then there’s days when I have no clue as to what’s going to happen…and we still have a good day…or maybe get into victory lane. And then there’s those days where I’ve got this nervousness that I don’t understand, don’t know why. But most of the time I’m just level-headed, low-key, comfortable, relaxed, ready to go, get the race started.”
Greatest Sports Moment: “Mine?…or others? Probably winning the inaugural Brickyard 400 in Indianapolis.”
Most Painful Moment: “Hitting the wall at Texas [laughs].”
Funny Racing Memory: “Gosh, there’s only one thing that makes me smile and that’s winning [smiles]. So I don’t know. I’m sure there’s been a few moments. But it’s hard for me to remember. Mine are usually more dramatic moments than they are funny.”
Closest Racing Friends: “I have kids that I grew up racing with in quarter-midgets. A guy named Greg Decaires. But I don’t get to see him as often as I’d like to. Who are some others? A guy named Rawley Helming – that owned a race car that I drove for – is still a good friend of mine. Rick Hendrick, who owns my car now. You know, you don’t make a lot of friends in racing. You usually lose a lot of friends in racing [laughs]. But I have been fortunate to have a few real special people in my life.”
Toughest Competitor: “Oh, Dale Earnhardt is the fiercest competitor I’ve ever raced against.”
People Qualities Most Admired: “Honesty. You know, good-hearted people that are just real. I like real people, not fake people.”
Career Accomplishments: Four time NASCAR season champion – 1995, 1997, 1998, 2001; Four-time Daytona 500 winner; 86 career wins in Sprint Cup Series; Surpassed $100 million in career racing earnings in 2012.
Topics: California Childhood, Chevrolet Impala, Childhood Heroes, Crimson Tide, Deal Man, Dupont Chevrolet, French Meal, Hendrick Motor Sports, Hobbies Interests, Man Smiles, Musical Tastes, Nascar Driver, Quarter Midget, Rust Color, Snow Skiing, Sprint Cars, Sprint Cup, Steve Kinzer, Thomas Crown Affair, Vallejo California
Jeff Gordon Biofile | 