History

1976 Began racing go-karts and quarter-midgets at age 5
1979 Quarter-Midget natioal champion.
1981 Quarter-Midget natioal champion.
1984 Was inspired by his stepfather, John Bickford, who moved family to Midwest to give Jeff, then a 13-year old, a better racing opportunity.
1990 USAC Midget champion.
* First Busch Grand National start
1991 USAC Silver Crown champion.
* Posted more than 500 short-track wins.
* Busch Grand National Rookie of the Year.
1992 Won a record 11 Busch Grand National poles and 3 wins (twice at Charlotte and once at Atlanta) in only 2nd year of competition.
Made Winston Cup debut in season finale, at Atlanta, qualifying 21st and finishing 31st.
1993 At age 21, became youngest driver to win a 125 mile qualifying race for the Daytona 500 and first rookie since Johnny Rutherford in 1963.
1994 Won his first Winston Cup race at Charlotte in the Coca-Cola 600.
1995 NASCAR Winston Cup champion
* Youngest champion in "modern era" (starting in 1972) at age 24.
* Second youngest title-holder since 23-year-old Bill Rexford won championship in 1950.
* First ever championship for car owner Rick Hendrick, who has fielded at least one car every season since 1984.
* Won the inaugural Brickyard 400 at Indy.
* Named NMPA Driver-of-the-Year.
* ESPY Award winner for auto racing.
1996 Fell 37 points short of defending his NASCAR Winston Cup Series championship against teammate Terry LaBontte.
* True Value Man-of-the-Year honors for his charitable work with Leukemia Society.
* Donated his half of $50,000.00 Man-of-the-Year prize to that charity.
1997 NASCAR Winston Cup champion
* Won by 14 points over Dale Jarrett
* One of only two drivers (Bill Elliott was the other in 1985) to capture Winston Million   by winning the Daytona 500, Coca-Cola 600, and Southern 500.
* Became the sport's first $6 million dollar man for a single season.
* Married Brooke who served as Miss Winston in 1993. They met when Jeff visited Victory Lane at Daytona after his victory in Gatorade 125.
1998 NASCAR Winston Cup champion
* Most points scored (5328) in a Winston Cup season.
* Tied Richard Petty's record of 13 wins in a single season.
* Youngest three time title holder at age 27.
* Won 2 "No Bull 5's" of the 4 entries he and the Rainbow Warriors were eligable.
* Named NAPA Driver-of-the-Year.
* ESPY Award winner for auto racing.
1999 Highest single race payday, $2,491,000+, ever earned (for the Daytona 500 with "NoBull 5" Bonus included).
* Returned to drive in a Busch Series race in the #24 Pepsi car owned by wife Brooke and Winston Cup Crew Chief Ray Evernham.
* Becomes first Winston Cup driver to qualify in first round for every race in the season.
* In a contest that evoked memories of Jeff Gordon's thrilling win over Dale Earnhardt in the Daytona 500, Gordon was the readers' choice as Driver of the 1990s, edging Earnhardt a single vote.
Other personal interests:
* Enjoys skiing
* Video games
* Golf.
* Racquetball.
 

Career Winston Cup Stats

Year               Races        Wins       Top5       Top10      Poles          Earnings     Final Points Standing 1992                  1                0             0               0             0             $6,285                           57th 1993                 30               0             7              11            1             $765,168                        4th 1994                 31               2             7              14            1             $1,779,523                     8th 1995                 31               7            17             23            8             $4,347,343                     1st 1996                 31              10           21             24            5             $3,428,485                     2nd 1997                 32              10           22             23            1             $6,375,658                     1st 1998                 33              13           26             28            7             $9,306,584                     1st 1999                 34               7            18             21            7             $5,281,361                     6th 2000 2001 36 18 24 6 $6,649,080 1st CareerTotals    223             49          118           144          30            $37,939,487                   N/A

All information has been gathered through research over the internet, books, and T.V. sports news networks. If any information is found to be false, please let me know and I will make the apropriate changes.