Dear Jeff,
November 15, 2015.
Today is a pretty important day. For me, it’s my 24th birthday. For you, today marks your 23rd year spent in the Cup series. It’s been over two decades since that fateful day at Atlanta Motor Speedway, when the Wonder Boy got his start and the King laid down his crown. It sure doesn’t seem that long ago, does it?
A few years after November 15, 1992 my uncle would tell me about that race, and how your career had begun on my 1st birthday. This knowledge, combined with a rainbow painted car that was winning every other week would set the stage for me to become a life-long fan.
I recall watching races through the late 90’s, and receiving lots of Jeff Gordon gear at birthdays and Christmas. It wouldn’t be until 2001 that I would see my first race, though, and what a perfect day that was. You clinched the 2001 Winston Cup Championship that day and a 10 year old me sat just left of the start/finish line watching the celebration after.
Later that evening we would catch you coming out of the media center, and you gave me a wave, something I remember quite vividly since it absolutely made my day. For the next few years my dad and I would attend the spring race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, where I would cheer on the flaming Dupont car.
You had some good runs, but unfortunately never won. After 2005 things got too expensive, and it would be 2012 before I would attend another race. That didn’t stop my fandom from growing, as a #24 hat permanently adorned my head, letting everybody know who I’d be rooting for on the track that weekend.
I would attend 9 more races from 2012-2015 as my own car and money were now paying the fares, and I would finally get to see the rainbow car run at Bristol earlier this year.
After a disappointing finish at Darlington, I made the effort to go one more time to the track to see you run one final time. This time, it would be Martinsville. I was sitting in the turn 1 entrance and was among the thousands of Gordon fans cheering you to your 93rd win, and my personal first. Had someone been there to capture my reaction, it wasn’t too far off yours in victory lane that evening.
No more than 30 seconds after the flag flew, I rushed (along with many others) down to the start/finish line to celebrate. I was one of the thousands of voices cheering and chanting down there, and the energy level was ridiculous.
Eventually I had to stop and catch my breath, so I climbed up the stands a bit to take in the scene. While reveling in the moment, I noticed something about the crowd. Sure, they were all pumped up, and for many I talked to it was also their first time seeing you win. More importantly, I think, was that they were all young. The majority of us down there celebrating were in our 20’s or 30’s. The “Gordon Generation”. Spending time on the web forums and r/NASCAR, I’ve seen that many, many of your fans come from the younger generation; not something many drivers can say. To me, this speaks volumes for what you did for the sport when you became one of the most successful drivers to ever compete. You brought in an entire generation of NASCAR fans, something practically no other driver can attest to.
This, Mr. Gordon, is no doubt your greatest accomplishment.
Sure, the 4 (soon to be 5) championships, 93 wins, 81 poles and 473 top tens top all active drivers in the series, but other drivers in the past have done great things on track. Still, none have had the impact on as many people as you have. Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt brought the sport into the spotlight, but it was you that made it shine on a national level. The “Wonder Boy” from California was the guy who would spark the NASCAR growth of the 90’s and 2000’s. From 13 wins in a season to Saturday Night Live, the name “Gordon” quickly became a household one, and I hardly ever meet even a non-NASCAR fan that doesn’t recognize the number on my hat.
In addition to all this, you have also accomplished some amazing things off the track through your charities in an effort to end childhood cancer and elderly hunger. For this we thank you.
And so, as you get ready to start your penultimate race at the Jeff Gordon Raceway (Phoenix) this afternoon, I’ll be suiting up in my Gordon gear after church to watch you run 500 more miles. Next Sunday at Homestead will be an emotional one both for you and for your fans, no doubt.
On behalf of all the fans of any age, thank you. We’ve all stuck it out even in the worst of times, confident that the best of times would soon return. A few of us were lucky enough to witness those best of times in person. It will be weird not seeing you climb into that car next February, but it is no doubt for the best as you move on in your career to the broadcast booth and hopefully spend a lot more time with your kids.
This is just my story, but after personally talking with many of the fans at Martinsville, it is the story of many. So, next Sunday I’ll be sitting at home watching as you make your final laps around Homestead, hopefully unable to breathe from anticipation of a 5th Championship. Regardless of the outcome, though, I’m happy and proud to say that I’ll be able to look back on a lifetime of being a Gordon fan and smile, as I don my 24 hat for race day one last time.
Thank you, Jeff.
Sincerely,
Tyler; Lifelong Fan
