California native Jeff Gordon started racing go-carts when he was just a kid, but by 1992, the 20-year-old had already snagged a few races in NASCAR's Busch Series. He won his first NASCAR Championship in 1995, quickly becoming one of the most famous and successful NASCAR racers in history. Before long, he became the youngest driver in Winston Cup history to achieve 50 career wins. His celebrity skyrocketed along with his success, leading not only to People magazine naming him one of its "50 Most Beautiful People" in 1997, but also to appearances on everything from Saturday Night Live to Herbie: Fully Loaded.
Jeff Gordon
Active - 1997 - 2017 |
Born - Aug 4, 1971 in Vallejo, California, United States |
Genres - Sports & Recreation, Comedy, Action
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Biography by AllMovie
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Factsheet
- Began racing at age 5 on a makeshift track built by his stepfather. By age 6 he was winning events racing a smaller car called a quarter midget.
- Attended the Buck Baker Driving School for stock-car racing.
- Won his first NASCAR Cup Championship in 1995.
- In 1999, created the Jeff Gordon Foundation, which supports children's charities. In 2006, the Jeff Gordon Children's Hospital opened in Concord, NC, and in 2010, his foundation changed its name to the Jeff Gordon Children's Foundation.
- Hosted a 2003 episode of Saturday Night Live.
- Authored Jeff Gordon: Racing Back to the Front — My Memoir (2003).
- Appeared in the films Looney Tunes: Back in Action (2003) and Herbie: Fully Loaded (2005). Provided the voice of an animated car in Cars 2 (2011).
- A fine-wine enthusiast, he partnered with the owner of Briggs & Sons Winemaking Co. to launch a series of wines labeled the Jeff Gordon Collection in the fall of 2005.
- In 2007, became one of the founding members of Athletes for Hope, a nonprofit organization that connects professional athletes with charitable organizations.