Jeff Gordon

Four Cup Series championships. Ninety-three victories. Eighty-one poles. Eight hundred five starts. Jeff Gordon did not merely race in the Cup Series -- he transformed the sport itself. The Vallejo, California native who grew up racing open-wheel cars in Indiana arrived at Hendrick Motorsports in 1992 and proceeded to shatter every assumption about who a NASCAR champion could be. His 1995, 1997, 1998, and 2001 championships came in devastating bursts of speed that left the competition scrambling to catch up. The 1998 season produced 13 victories, matching Richard Petty's modern-era record and announcing Gordon as a once-in-a-generation talent. With crew chief Ray Evernham, Gordon formed the most dominant driver-crew chief partnership of the modern era. Gordon's arrival coincided with NASCAR's explosion into the American mainstream, and his telegenic personality, crossover appeal, and sheer dominance made him the face of the sport during its period of greatest growth. He drove the rainbow-painted No. 24 Chevrolet into the consciousness of millions of new fans who had never watched a stock car race before. His rivalry with Dale Earnhardt -- the established Southern hero versus the young California outsider -- defined an era and drew storylines that transcended the sport. After retiring as a driver, Gordon moved into ownership and management at Hendrick Motorsports, ensuring his influence on the sport extends well beyond his final checkered flag. His Hall of Fame induction in 2019 was a formality -- Jeff Gordon was a first-ballot legend the moment he unstrapped for the last time.

Written by Richard R. Glover, NASCAR Reference