In 1994, Jeff Gordon won his first race in NASCAR’s signature series, taking the checkered flag at the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway at age 22.
Gordon would win 92 more times after that, becoming racing royalty and a NASCAR hall of famer. Now he’s our latest subject of “Sports Legends of the Carolinas,” the multimedia project in which we interview sports stars about their journeys to iconic status and their struggles along the way.
Somehow, Gordon is 51 years old. He’s been a household name in NASCAR for the past three decades. After a six-year stint in the TV broadcast booth, he now works as vice chairman at Hendrick Motorsports, the place where he launched his own career in the sport. He and his family live in Charlotte.
In his racing prime, Gordon turned into such a crossover star that he became the first NASCAR driver to ever host “Saturday Night Live.” In this interview, which we conducted in his office at Hendrick Motorsports, he talked about his favorite character from that SNL appearance, as well as teaching his daughter how to drive, his early days as a breakdancer (yes, seriously) and his rivalry with Dale Earnhardt Sr.
Sports Legends of the Carolinas is hosted by Scott Fowler. It's produced by Loumay Alesali, Jeff Siner and Kata Stevens. McClatchy's director of audio is Davin Coburn. For lots more on the show, visit https://www.charlotteobserver.com/sportslegends.
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