Jeff Gordon is perhaps the only Sprint Cup driver who will forever remain a rookie in the eyes of many NASCAR fans. They refuse to acknowledge that, with 15 years in the Cup series, Gordon is rapidly approaching “grizzled veteran” status. Gordon’s appearance, however, is anything but grizzled. Not only has he held on to his blow-dried good looks, he is a millionaire many times over and is married to his second smoking-hot wife…  and he’s not even 40 yet. When his marriage to Brooke Sealy ended in 2002, Gordon haters gleefully circulated rumors that the marriage ended because Gordon was a flaming homosexual cross-dresser. Can you say “sour grapes” boys and girls?

Some of the ill will towards Gordon probably has its roots in the famed Earnhardt-Gordon rivalry that culminated in 1995 when Gordon stopped Dale Sr.’s run at an eighth (and third consecutive) championship. Gordon won the title by 34 points, which enraged the legions of die-hard Earnhardt fans. Dale Sr. joked that Gordon would have to drink milk at the awards banquet because he wasn’t old enough to be served champagne. Gordon responded by toasting the elder Earnhardt with a glass of milk and everyone had a good laugh and forgot about it. Except for the fans, that is. They turned it into a battle between light and dark, good and evil, Gordon and Anti-Gordon. The truth is that both men respected one another and the “feud” was all fan and media-driven hype.  Neither of the drivers, however, told anyone any different. 

Oh, did we mention that the man can drive? Gordon has won 82 races, including three Daytona 500 victories and four championships. This puts him in some pretty revered company. All Gordon has to do is win two more races to surpass Cale Yarborough in all-time wins. With three more wins, he’ll vault past both Bobby Allison and Darrell Waltrip and take up the third spot behind David Pearson. There’s a very chance he’ll surpass Pearson’s record of 105 wins.
 

You've got our respect, Mr. Gordon.  Heck, anybody who can drive a straight shift in high heels is alright with us.


Gordon was divorced from Brook Sealey in 2003...

... and married Ingrid Vandebosch in 2006.