New Lifestyle Sports: Jeff Gordon The Raceing Driver

Jeffery Michael Gordon (born August 4, 1971) was born in Vallejo, California, raised in Pittsboro, Indiana, and currently lives in Charlotte, North Carolina. He is a four-time NASCAR Winston Cup (now NEXTEL Cup) Series champion and driver of the #24 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS. His primary sponsor is DuPont, though he occasionally drives a Pepsi-themed car or a Nicorette-themed car. His other sponsors include Quaker State, Haas, GMAC, Georgia-Pacific, Sparkle, and Nicorette. He, along with Rick Hendrick, are the co-owners of the #48 Lowe's sponsored team, driven by Jimmie Johnson, the 2006 NEXTEL Cup series champion. Gordon also has an equity stake in his own #24 team.

Racing career
Jeff Gordon began racing at the age of five and according to his step-father, John it was his idea. It may have been his idea, but his family fully supported him. Gordon's family moved from Vallejo, California to Pittsboro, Indiana, not just for the racing opportunities in general, but especially those for younger 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 in 1991 and 1992, driving for Bill Davis Racing (with whom he set a NASCAR record by capturing 11 poles in one season). Coincidentally, Gordon's first NASCAR Winston Cup Series race, the 1992 Hooters 500 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway, was also the final race for Richard Petty. He went on to finish 31st, crashing after 164 laps of competition.

In 1993, Gordon raced his first full season in Winston Cup for Hendrick Motorsports, in which he won only 1 Daytona 500 qualifying race, the Rookie of the Year award and finished 14th in points. Gordon's success in the sport reshaped the paradigm and eventually gave younger drivers an opportunity to compete in NASCAR. However, during the 1993 season, many doubted Gordon's ability to compete at such a level at such a young age because of his tendency to push the cars too hard and crash.

In 1994, the critics were silenced when Jeff Gordon collected his first career victory at the Lowe's Motor Speedway in the Coca Cola 600, NASCAR's longest and most demanding race. Additionally, Gordon scored a popular hometown victory at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the inaugural Brickyard 400, passing Ernie Irvan for the lead late in the race when Irvan cut down a tire. 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 five drivers to have four victories at the historic track. Gordon also broke the domination that Dale Earnhardt, Incorporated's #8 and #15 teams held over the restrictor plate tracks in NASCAR since 2001, establishing himself as a favorite to win on the tracks where so many teams struggle to even finish races.

Gordon is regarded as one of NASCAR's best drivers because he achieved so much at such a young age. At thirty five, midway through the 2006 Nextel Cup season, Gordon has accumulated 75 Nextel Cup victories, right behind Dale Earnhardt's mark of 76 wins and Darrell Waltrip's NASCAR-recognized Modern-Era record of 84, and is currently seventh on the all-time list. Many observers also credit Gordon with moving NASCAR from its regional southeastern roots to national level of popularity, both through his media savvy and through lucrative advertizing deals that put Gordon's face, team, and brand into the public spotlight.

Ray Evernham was placed as Jeff Gordon's first crew chief and many say their chemistry is the reason for Gordons great early success. The way the two got along grew through the years and in 1999 the two went into business together. In 1999 Gordon/Evernham Motorsports (GEM) was formed. Though short lived, the race team enjoyed success. The co-owned team received a full sponsorship from Pepsi and ran six races with Jeff Gordon as driver and Ray Evernham as crew chief in the NASCAR Busch Series. GEM only survived one year as Evernham was pulled away by Dodge. Jeff Gordon extended his Busch experiment one more year, through 2000 as co-owner, with Rick Hendrick buying Evernham's half. Post Evernham his raceteam was named JG Motorsports.

Public image and personal life
Reaction to Gordon's success has been sharply divided among NASCAR fans. Gordon remains popular in his home state of Indiana and his birth state of California, and as indicated by the success of merchandising of #24 products, outside the Deep South, but is often booed by fans in traditional NASCAR venues.

Part of this schism in popularity is attributed to Gordon's "Madison Avenue" appeal, his apparent rivalry with Dale Earnhardt during the 1990s, and the resentment in the Deep South of perceived "Yankees." NASCAR for years had been a predominantly Southern sport, and many fans today attribute NASCAR's changes, not all of which are popular, to the influence of corporate sponsorships and the media.

Jeff Gordon is a Christian, and has discussed his Faith online, describing how he followed some drivers to chapel one day after being curious about it.
Due to his hectic schedule Jeff Gordon owns a private jet. It is a British Aerospace Hawker 800 that flies him to and from NASCAR events.

Relationships with women
The anti-Gordon camp have fueled a number of ad hominem attacks. Frequently leveled charges of Gordon's alleged homosexuality have been the subject of parody songs, comic web sites and blogs.which in fact is not true. In the Internet journal Slate.com, an article speaks to the rumors, which have largely been fueled by supermarket tabloid The Globe:

NASCAR star Jeff Gordon also gets drawn into the Globe's web of gayness. Gordon's recent split from his wife has reportedly "reignited inflammatory talk that the racing hunk is gay." His wife, Brooke, is said to have complained that her husband was a "cold fish" who didn't satisfy her in the bedroom. And a friend explains that "because he's good-looking and dresses well, he's an obvious target to pick on." Obvious. As if the nice clothes weren't enough, the story further explains that "Gordon's slight build and soft-spoken manner also sparked the gay gossip, not to mention that here was a clean-cut California kid kickin' butt in a Southern sport." [4] In his memoir, Jeff Gordon: Racing Back to the Front, the driver actually addresses the rumor, which he denies. Part of the rumor was fueled by a comment by Dale Earnhardt, Sr. intended as a joke. At the time Gordon had been dating Miss Winston, Brooke Sealey, but because Sealey worked for Winston the couple was required to keep the relationship a secret. When they finally went public with the relationship, Earnhardt, making a joke, said "Whew, I'm glad to see you've got a girlfriend. Some of us were beginning to wonder if you liked girls." Gordon's response to the rumors is both classy and diplomatic: "I'd like to think if I were gay, I would be comfortable enough to say so and get on with my life. The fact is I'm not, and I never quite understood why so many people want to believe otherwise."

Gordon married Brooke Sealey in 1994. In 2003, Gordon's divorce from Brooke became tabloid fodder. Gordon distanced himself from the controversy by staying focused on the competition, winning races and contending for championships. In court papers Brooke Sealey (formerly Brooke Gordon) asked for "exclusive use of the couple's oceanfront home, valued at $9 million, as well as alimony, two cars and periodic use of their boats and an airplane." She also wished Jeff Gordon to continue to pay the salaries of their housekeepers, maintenance workers and chef, as well as her legal fees" during the divorce.
On June 24, 2006, Jeff announced his engagement to Ingrid Vandebosch at a croquet event at Meadowood resort in St. Helena, California. According to Gordon, they had kept the engagement secret for the past 30 days. Gordon and Vandebosch were married in a small, private ceremony in Mexico on November 7, 2006.

On December 13, 2006, Jeff and Ingrid announced that they were expecting their first child in early July of 2007. On, February 8, 2007 the couple announced they are expecting a girl. Jeff won his third Gatorade Duel on February 15, 2007 which is a qualifying event in preparation for the Daytona 500. That would have placed him fourth for the start of the race but his car failed post-race inspection due to an "unintentional" loose bolt. Although no fines or penalties were laid, officials said that the 24 DuPont Chevrolet would have to start 42nd on Sunday.

Since his last NASCAR Championship
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. In 2005, Gordon competed in the Race of Champions event again, this time held in Paris, France, where he was partnered with famed motocross racer/X Games winner Travis Pastrana. Gordon was unable to qualify for the finals, as his car had trouble starting up in the quarterfinal round of the competition.

On June 11, 2003, at a special exhibition at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Gordon took laps in Juan Pablo Montoya's Williams BMW, while Montoya did laps in Gordon's Nextel Cup car. The exhibition was broadcast live by SPEED Channel, in a special called, Tradin' Paint.
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. Also, Gordon won the Brickyard 400 on August of 2004, obtaining his 4th Indy win. He claimed wins at the famed raceway in 1994, 1998, and 2001.

In 2004, Gordon finished 3rd in the NEXTEL Cup points behind Kurt Busch and teammate Jimmie Johnson even though he scored the most total points throughout the whole season, a consequence of the new Chase system implemented in 2004.

Gordon started the 2005 season with a win in the Daytona 500, but inconsistency would plague him throughout the year. A late season run put him in position to qualify for the Chase, but in the last race before the Chase at Richmond, Gordon made contact with the wall and failed to qualify for the chase. Despite this disappointment, on October 23 Gordon won the Subway 500 at Martinsville Speedway, his first win in 22 points races, and his active driver leading 7th career victory at the 0.526 mile track. He went on to finish 11th in the Championship and received a $1,000,000 bonus as the top driver finishing outside the Chase. It was Gordon's first time outside the top 10 in the point standings since 1993.

On September 14, 2005 Crew Chief Robbie Loomis resigned from the #24 team. Loomis stayed on with Hendrick Motorsports as a consultant for Jimmie Johnson's #48 team through the Chase for The Nextel Cup in 2005. Steve Letarte, Gordon's car chief for most of the '05 season, replaced Loomis as crew chief effective at New Hampshire International Speedway on September 18th, 2005 and began his first full season as crew chief for Gordon in the 2006 Nextel Cup Season.
On June 24, 2006 Gordon announced his engagement to model Ingrid Vanderbosch. The following day, Gordon won his ninth road race, the Dodge/Save Mart 350, at the Infineon Raceway - his first win of the season and fifth at Infineon.

On June 29, 2006, Jeff Gordon announced that he will he participate in the Rolex 24 endurance sports car event at Daytona International Speedway, teaming up with SunTrust Racing drivers Max Angelelli and Wayne Taylor, who won the 2005 Rolex 24 race.

On July 9, 2006, Jeff Gordon won his first race at the Chicagoland Speedway at the running of the USG Sheetrock 400. Jeff Gordon has 75 career Nextel Cup victories, just one short of tying Dale Earnhardt for the sixth most wins of all time.
Now that the 2006 season has come to a close, Jeff Gordon and the #24 DuPont team are focusing on 2007. Jeff Gordon owns a racecar, the #48 Lowe's Monte Carlo SS, which won the 2006 NASCAR/Nextel Cup Series Championship. Jeff Gordon's team finished the year with 14 top-5's, 18 top-10's, 2 wins, 2 poles, and 7 DNF's.

Jeff Gordon made the "Chase for the Nextel Cup" with his improvements on the intermediate 1.5/2-mile downforce racetracks from 2005. His consitency in the latter portions of 2006 made him competitive week-in and week-out, eventually finishing 6th in the NASCAR/Nextel Cup Series Standings.
Jeff Gordon attended the awards ceremony at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City, NY for his top-10 finish in the Nextel Cup Standings. While there he collected a check for his 2006 winnings of $7,471,447 which brings his career winnings total to $82,838,526.

Gordon in popular culture
Gordon has made cameo appearances starring as himself in Looney Tunes: Back in Action, Taxi, and Herbie: Fully Loaded. Gordon was also referred to in the Bernie Mac/Ashton Kutcher film Guess Who. In January 2003, Gordon became the first (and so far, only) NASCAR driver to host NBC's "Saturday Night Live". He will appear in I Pronounce You Chuck and Larry in 2007 with Angelina Jolie.
source: wikipedia.org