Favorite Coach Race Drivers: Jeff Gordon Car News

The brief was simple. An email to all journalists on Autocar: choose your favorite racing driver of all time.

What we weren’t expecting was a whole repertoire of answers that came back. Covering most eras and a wide spectrum of sport – from Formula 1 to club racing – it shows how diverse motorsport and its followers are. For once, there are no wrong answers: it has led to a lot of discussion and quite a bit of disbelief, but in the end, it’s all about personal choice.

Do you agree with us? Would you like to choose someone different? Let us know in the comments below.

Jeff Gordon

My still-ongoing fascination with Nascar began in the early 1990s, coinciding with the rapid rise of Jeff Gordon from a highly rated rookie to a truly dominant force. So maybe it was only natural that I was drawn to Gordon’s applause as he racked up an incredible 93 wins and four championships.

But Gordon isn’t just worth celebrating for his track achievements. He was instrumental in transforming the first American Stock Car Championship from a largely regional sport, steeped in the southern United States, into something truly national – or even, as I prove it, international.

To a young Briton, Gordon was sort of a nascar entry drug: born in California and raised in Indiana, he was a star in the sprinting car that initially aimed at Indycar racing. Except that this was the period when Indycar racing was developing internationally, and teams were increasingly turning to single-seater European and South American drivers, rather than trying their luck on talented Americans who were perfecting their skills. skills on clay ovals.

But the NASCAR teams were ready to take a chance on a talented sprint driver, and Gordon impressed enough over his two seasons in the second-place Nascar Busch series to grab the attention of boss Rick Hendrick. powerful Hendrick Motorsport team.

Gordon made his top-level NASCAR Winston Cup in the last race of 1992, won the rookie of the year title in 1993, claimed his first victories in 1994 and his first championship in 1995. At this point, and Helped by ace team leader Ray Evernham, he was the benchmark driver: he won seven races on his way to his first title, then took 10 wins the following year – although he missed out on the crown to his ultra-consistent teammate Terry Labonte.

Other titles followed in 1997, 1998 – a year in which he won 13 of 33 races – and 2001. In a sport known for its competitive poise, it was incredible.