On the Track with... Jeff Gordon - Chapter One - 1971-1976 - Born to Race

Sep 28, 2026

Chapter One covers Jeff Gordon’s earliest life and racing destiny from 1971 to 1976. The chapter opens with his unusual relationship to cars—motion sickness as a passenger—contrasted with the exhilaration he feels when driving on the track at over 200 miles per hour. It then describes how his hard-driving reputation, will to win, and success shape opponents’ perceptions. The narrative follows his birth in Vallejo, his parents’ divorce, his family’s situation, and the influence of people around him.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryStory & Novel

FormatPDF

Pages136

Reading Time3 h 29 min

AccessFree to download

Chapter One: 1971-1976 Born to Race

Jeff Gordon’s early relationship with racing

Birth, family changes, and early influences

MATT CHRISTOPHER On the Track with..efi Gordom https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780329237288 MATT CHRISTOPHER On the Track with...Jeií GDrdDM Text by Glenn Stout Little,Brown and CompanyBoston New York London Copyright ◎2000 by Catherine M.Christopher All rights reserved.No part of this book may be reproduced in anyform or by any electronic or mechanical means,including informa-tion storage and retrieval systems,without permission in writing fromthe publisher,except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in areview. First Edition Matt ChristopherTM is a trademark of Catherine M.Christopher. Cover photograph by Mary Ann Chastain/Associated Press Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Stout,Glenn. On the track with...Jeff Gordon/text by Glenn Stout.—1st ed. P.cm. ISBN 0-316-13469-4 1.Gordon,Jeff,1971- —Juvenile literature.2.Automobileracing drivers—United States—Biography—Juvenile literature. [1.Gordon,Jeff,1971- 2.Automobile racing drivers.]I.Title:Athead of title:Matt Christopher.II.Christopher,Matt.II.Title.GV1032.G67 S872001796.72'092—dc21[B]00-040544 10987654321 COM-MO Printed in the United States of America Chapter One:1971-1976Born to Race 工 Chapter Two:1976-19849The Prodigy Chapter Three:1984-1990Sprinting Ahead 亿 Chapter Four:1990-1991Going to School 3547 Chapter Five:1991-1992Heading Toward the MajorsChapter Six:1993-1994Rookie of the Year 55 Chapter Seven:1994-199566Down Victory LaneChapter Eight:199578That Championship SeasonChapter Nine:1996-199790Back on Top Chapter Ten:1998-1999104Racing Ahead W1 MATTHRISTOPHER Dn the Track with.. 1971-1976 # Born to Race Jeff Gordon gets carsick. That's right.When NASCAR champion Jeff Gor-don rides in a car as a passenger,he gets motionsickness.He can't wait to get out of the car. But when he's on the racetrack,rocketing downthe track at more than 200 miles per hours behindthe wheel of his car,it's a different story.He feelsgreat.There's nothing he would like to do more. On the track Gordon is known for his hard-drivingstyle,his will to win,and his unmatched record ofsuccess.His performance makes the opposition feelbad,because when Jeff Gordon is in a race the otherdrivers know they are often competing for the privi-lege to finish second behind Gordon. Before he had even learned to walk,Jeff Gordonappeared destined to drive a race car.Gordon was 1 born on August 4,1971,in Vallejo,California,abouttwenty-five miles from San Francisco.But when Jeffwas only three months old,his mother,Carol,and fa-ther,Will Gordon,divorced.Little Jeff and his four-year-old sister,Kim,lived with their mother.Theyoung family was on their own. Carol Gordon worked for a medical-supply com-pany.In the summer of 1972,just as Jeff was learn-ing to walk,another employee of the company,JohnBickford,mustered the courage to ask Carol out ona date.He wasn't put off by the fact that Carol hadtwo small children.He was also divorced and re-mained very close to his son,who lived with his ex-wife.He understood how important Carol Gordon'schildren were to her. Bickford worked adapting vans for use by dis-abled people.He loved all kinds of automobiles,and if there was one thing he liked better than tak-ing a car apart and putting it back together,it wasauto racing.For their first date,John asked Carolif she and her two children would like to attend anauto race on Labor Day at the nearby Vallejo Speed-way.Carol readily agreed,and little Jeff Gordon at-

FAQs

Why does Jeff Gordon get motion sick in a car as a passenger?

When Jeff Gordon rides in a car as a passenger, he gets motion sickness. He can’t wait to get out, but driving on the racetrack is a different experience.

What is Jeff Gordon’s driving reputation described as?

On the track Gordon is known for hard-driving style, strong desire to win, and an unmatched record of success. His performances often make other drivers feel like they are competing mainly for second place.

Where and when was Jeff Gordon born, according to this chapter?

Jeff Gordon was born on August 4, 1971, in Vallejo, California, about twenty-five miles from San Francisco.

Sep 28, 2026

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