Gordon expecting baby #2: during NASCAR Media Day coverage on ESPNEWS, #24-Jeff Gordon announced that wife, Ingrid Vandebosch, is expecting their second child due this coming summer, joining daughter Ella, currently two years old.(2-4-2010)

Jeff Gordon part of Ohio track plan: Jeff Gordon's name is being linked to a project to turn an old Ohio baseball stadium into a race track, Gordon's stepfather, John Bickford, who's also the vice president and general manager of Jeff Gordon Inc., says Gordon would help design the half-mile track at Cooper Stadium in Columbus, OH. Bickford says the project also could include a school for mechanics school and auto technology center similar to one Gordon is involved with in Charlotte, N.C. The developer says Gordon's company would become a partner in the track, which still requires several approvals. Bickford came to Columbus yesterday to meet with community leaders and residents and gauge their interest. Some residents have been concerned that the track would be too noisy. Gordon's involvement brings credibility to a project that's been discussed for almost two years, said officials who attended the meeting at Cooper Stadium. Gordon is involved in the Joe Hendrick Center for Automotive Technology at Central Piedmont Community College in suburban Charlotte, N.C. A similar program could be created at the Cooper Stadium track, dubbed Cooper Park, Bickford said. Bickford said there's been no decision on whether Gordon's company would directly invest in the track.(Columbus Dispatch)(1-30-2010)

Seven Cup drivers on America's 100 Most Powerful Athletes list: What is power? In athletics it is usually thought of as bulging muscles and dominating performance. But in sports today, power has a different meaning, as well: the earning potential of athletes, owners, agents, communities, and brands, ranging from breakfast cereal to beer. To determine who the 100 most powerful athletes are on and off the field, Bloomberg BusinessWeek teamed with CSE, an integrated sports and entertainment company that connects brands with fans, and Bloomberg BusinessWeek columnist Rick Horrow, to create the 2010 version of the Power 100. Unlike previous Power 100s, this year's ranking would focus only on the athletes-not the owners, the agents, the commissioners, or the coaches. On-field metrics included athletes who scored the best on the field (or the rink, the greens, or the court) over a two-year period. The more popular the sport, the more weight those achievements garnered.
Drivers on the list: Jimmie Johnson, 21st; Jeff Gordon, 28th; Mark Martin, 41st; Dale Earnhardt, Jr. 45th; Tony Stewart, 48th; Carl Edwards, 67th; and Kyle Busch, 70th. Danica Patrick also made the list at 88th.(Business Week)(1-28-2010)

Jeff Gordon's episode of Extreme Makeover to air in April: The episode of ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition that #24-Jeff Gordon filmed this month in Horry County, SC is scheduled to air on Sunday April 11, 2010 at 8:00pm/et on ABC. See images of the build at jeffgordon.com and at extremehorry.com or Myrtle Beach Sun Times.(1-26-2010)

Two NASCAR drivers in Top 50 athlete earnings: For the sixth consecutive year, Sports Illustrated has compiled a list of the 50 top-earning American athletes in salary, winnings, endorsements and appearance fees. And for the first time, the average earnings of those on the list fell -- down $1.5 million per athlete to $23.6 million. That falloff is mostly due to lower earnings for No. 1 Tiger Woods and No. 2 Phil Mickelson, both of whom saw their on-course income shrink while also losing key endorsement deals. This year's list features 22 basketball players (a record nine who earned more than $20 million), 14 major leaguers, nine football players, three golfers and two NASCAR drivers. The two NASCAR drivers are #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. at 13th and #24-Jeff Gordon at 21st. #48-Jimmie Johnson, who won his 4th NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship in a row, is not on the list.(Sports Illustrated)(1-25-2010)

Gordon to help build house on Extreme Makeover: Four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion #24-Jeff Gordon will be the celebrity builder for this week's 'Extreme Makeover: Home Edition' build in Horry County [South Carolina], officials announced on Monday. Gordon showed up at 5:30am/et Monday, ready for his role as celebrity builder for this week's 'Extreme Makeover: Home Edition' build in Horry County. His first words on arrival were: "Hand me a hammer," said George DuRant, event director for the build. A Loris family has been selected as the focus of the TV show “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” being filmed this week. Amanda and Derrick Suggs and their children will see the house they inherited from Derrick’s grandfather rebuilt into a stronger, safer home in only a week, as the crew from the show along with area builders and other volunteers converge on their property beginning today. The show’s producers said they chose the Suggs after hearing the story of how they adopted Amanda’s younger siblings to keep them out of foster care, and how Derrick Suggs, a police officer, was nominated as an officer of the year last year for his role in helping save an infant who had stopped breathing while his mother was driving down the highway. “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” host Ty Pennington, the show’s design team and many others will repair and rebuild the home while the Suggs family is treated to a vacation courtesy of the show.
Gordon was chosen as the celebrity because the Suggs family members are NASCAR fans, and Derrick Suggs in a Gordon fan, officials said. Gordon said he's eager to help, saying he'd tackle any task except getting up on the roof, citing his back problems. "I’ll do anything they need including driving them to the airport and get them there on time," he said. And around 4:00 p.m., he got behind the wheel of the limo and drove them to the end of their driveway to the cheers of the crowd.
The public is invited to come watch the demolition of the Suggs family's house Tuesday evening [Jan 12th]. About 1,000 people will be allowed to watch on a first come, first-admitted basis starting at 3:30pm/et. Some World Wrestling Entertainment wrestlers will be helping with the demolition which will be accompanied by a large fireworks display. The public will be able to watch the new home on Cane Branch Road being built starting at 8 a.m. Wednesday, officials said.(keep up at the Myrtle Beach Sun Times) and more info at extremehorry.com and abc.com.(1-12-2010)

Hess, Parker receive Papa Joe Hendrick Award of Excellence: Hendrick Motorsports employees Lynn Hess and Richie Parker were named recently as the 2009 Papa Joe Hendrick Award of Excellence recipients. The award embodies the spirit of Rick Hendrick's late father Joe Hendrick and is voted upon annually by Hendrick Motorsports employees. Hess and Parker were recognized during the company's Christmas party on Dec. 18. Inclement weather kept Hess from attending the event, but that didn't dampen her excitement. Hess has worked at Hendrick Motorsports fulltime since October 1999 as the administrative assistant for the #24 and #48 team shop, while also serving as the scorer some race weekends for the #24 team. Parker was on hand to receive the honor on Dec. 19, but the award wasn't the only thing that surprised the 2005 Clemson graduate. Parker, who started working at Hendrick Motorsports fulltime in 2005 as an engineer, was surprised to find his parents in attendance for the party.(HMS)(1-12-2010)

Hendrick Motorsports VP receives honorary degree: Doug Duchardt, a 1987 graduate of Missouri University of Science and Technology, will be one of 10 alumnae awarded an honorary professional degree on Saturday during the school's winter commencement ceremonies. Currently the Vice President of Development for Hendrick Motorsports, Duchardt earned a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from the university in 1987. During his undergraduate career, he joined General Motors as a co-op student. That relationship grew over time, and after achieving a master's degree in mechanical engineering from Purdue in 1992, Duchardt went on to become the director of GM Racing in 2003 and work closely with NASCAR teams. In 2005, he was named a vice president at Hendrick Motorsports, where he currently oversees race car design, engineering and production in the chassis, body and engine areas. "I appreciate my alma mater recognizing what's happened in my career, but it's really the result of being surrounded by talented people at General Motors and Hendrick Motorsports," Duchardt said. "There are a lot of distinguished alumnae from Missouri University of Science and Technology, and it's humbling to see the list of people being honored and the previous honorees. It's also encouraging that colleges and universities are paying attention to what happens in NASCAR and that our industry is relevant with any other mainstream business."(HMS)(12-28-2009)

Media selects top drivers, races of decade in NASCAR’s three national series: With the recently completed 2009 season closing out another decade of NASCAR racing, media members have selected the top drivers and top races of the decade for all three national series as voted upon in a poll on NASCARMedia.com. The listing of drivers and races for the poll was compiled following discussions with the three series directors and other long-time observers in the industry - and also resulted from direct input from NASCAR fans. #48-Jimmie Johnson was selected as the top NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver of the decade, followed by #14-Tony Stewart and #24-Jeff Gordon. Johnson won an unprecedented fourth consecutive series championship in 2009 and posted 47 NASCAR Sprint Cup victories this decade - most of any driver. He is the only driver to earn a spot in the Chases for the NASCAR Sprint Cup all six years of the format's existence. The March 16, 2003 race at Darlington Raceway was voted the top NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. In what is the closest Margin of Victory - .002 seconds - since the advent of electronic scoring in May 1993, Ricky Craven edged Kurt Busch to the finish line in that thriller. The Oct. 14, 2000 race at Talladega Superspeedway, which marked Dale Earnhardt's final career victory, came in second, followed by the March 11, 2001 event at Atlanta Motor Speedway, with Kevin Harvick getting his first NASCAR Sprint Cup victory in a narrow defeat of Jeff Gordon.(NASCAR PR), see the results for the Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series on those pages.(12-21-2009)

Hendrick honored with Bill France Award of Excellence: Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports was honored with the Bill France Award of Excellence at the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony. The award was presented to Hendrivk by Betty Jane France, wife of the late Bill France Jr., who guided the sport from 1971-2003. “I wasn’t expecting this one,” Hendrick said during his acceptance speech at the Wynn Las Vegas. “This award means so much to me because of the relationship I had with Bill France and the respect I had for him.” The award is not handed out annually by the France family, which has owned and operated NASCAR for 61 years. Named for NASCAR founder Bill France Sr., the award is presented when the NASCAR leadership believes someone is worthy of the recognition for contributions to the sport. “NASCAR has had many iconic figures throughout its rich history, and Rick Hendrick certainly falls into that category,” Betty Jane France said. “Through the years, he has not only won our respect but our hearts as well.” Hendrick did not know that Betty Jane France was at the banquet and the award was not listed in the agenda for the evening that celebrated Jimmie Johnson’s fourth consecutive title in a season where Hendrick drivers swept the top three spots in the standings. “I’ve never seen him where he’s in a position where he couldn’t say what was on his mind,” Johnson said after the ceremony. “It really got him. … For a minute there, I thought he was going to need to sit down and start over and come back to the podium. It’s amazing. It means so much to Rick because of his friendship with Bill. I could only imagine how much that means to him. And then this year, you look at the 1-2-3 and all the success. You roll it all up in one, he’s going to remember 2009 forever.”(SceneDaily)(12-6-2009)

#24 - Fastest Crew Award: To recognize the fan-chosen “fastest pit crew,” AT&T donated $20,000 to Victory Junction. “We are pleased to donate this money as part of our ‘Fastest Pit Crew’ program to Victory Junction,” said Daryl Evans, vice president of marketing for AT&T. “It was exciting to see who the fans thought was the fastest and most valuable pit crew, but it’s even more exciting to know we will be helping some great kids attend this special camp.” AT&T’s Fastest Pit Crew ran season-long and asked fans to vote each race via text message to determine the fastest pit crew. Points accumulated throughout the season, and #24-Jeff Gordon's DuPont pit crew was the ultimate winner. “Congratulations to the DuPont pit crew,” said Kyle Petty,co founder of Victory Junction. “They came out and hung out with the kids this summer, and that was really cool. This year has been hard on all of us financially so we’re especially grateful to AT&T and its ‘Fastest Pit Crew’ program for benefiting the kids at Victory Junction. With this donation, eight kids will get an experience of a lifetime!”(victoryjunction.org)(11-25-2009)

Hendrick misses Homestead race UPDATE: A family emergency will keep team owner Rick Hendrick from celebrating a record-tying ninth Sprint Cup championship for Hendrick Motorsports on Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Hendrick's 29-year-old niece Alesha Gainey, the daughter of John Hendrick who was killed in the 2004 plane crash near Martinsville Speedway, is undergoing an emergency liver transplant in North Carolina. "Rick obviously wishes he could be here . . . [but] Rick's priority at this point is to support his family at this crucial time," Hendrick Motorsports general managers Marshall Carlson said.(ESPN)(11-22-2009)
UPDATE: As much as Rick Hendrick wanted to be a part of Jimmie Johnson's record-breaking run on Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway, his family's needs were more important. Instead of watching Johnson win his fourth straight Sprint Cup title, Hendrick was at hospital in North Carolina as his 29-year-old niece, Alesha Gainey, underwent a liver transplant. Gainey is the daughter of Hendrick's brother, John, who, along with two other daughters, was killed in a 2004 Hendrick Motorsports plane crash on the way to Martinsville Speedway. Hendrick said the surgery went well and Gainey, although not completely out of the woods, is in stable condition and recovering in intensive care.(ESPN)(11-24-2009)

Jeff Gordon to stay full-time another few years: #24-Jeff Gordon will drive through at least the 2013 season for Hendrick Motorsports, team owner Rick Hendrick said Friday. There has been speculation that Gordon, who has a lifetime deal with HMS, will retire within the next couple of years. The speculation arose in part because of Gordon's back problems and in part because he wants to spend more time with his family. "He's committed to at least 2013, maybe 2014," Hendrick said. "I'm hoping he's going to drive a bunch of more years. We know it's going to be at least three or four." Hendrick said he's also negotiating a new deal with DuPont, the primary sponsor on Gordon's car since he entered the Sprint Cup Series in 1992. DuPont's contract is due to expire in 2010 and Hendrick said the company will remain on the #24 at least for a good portion of the races through the end of Gordon's career.(ESPN)(11-20-2009)

One track left with no win for Hendrick: Homestead-Miami Speedway is the only racetrack on the current Sprint Cup schedule where Hendrick Motorsports has not won a race. The organization, which will wrap up its 25th anniversary season this weekend, has recorded eight top-five finishes and 16 top-10s in 10 Cup events (39 starts) there (HMS). It is also the only race track that #24-Jeff Gordon has not won a Sprint Cup race and for #48-Jimmie Johnson, Homestead is one of six race tracks on the Cup circuit he has not won at [the others being Watkins Glen, Infineon Raceway, Chicago, Michigan and Bristol.(11-19-2009)

Clinching Scenarios: What Johnson Can Do To Lock Up The Championship: With two races left in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, #48-Jimmie Johnson leads the standings by 73 points over second-place #5-Mark Martin and 112 points over third-place #24-Jeff Gordon. With the standings tight as the season comes to a close, everyone wants to know what Johnson has to do to clinch the title.
Phoenix: For Johnson to clinch at Phoenix International Raceway, he will need to lead by 195 points after the race. Currently up 73 points, he'll need to gain 122 points by the race's end. If he does that, he will clinch no matter what any other driver does.
Homestead: For Johnson to clinch at Homestead-Miami Speedway, he will need to average a fourth-place finish over the final two races, or fifth and a lap led in each of the final two races, or sixth and the most laps led in each of the final two races. If he does that, he will clinch no matter what any other driver does.
AND if Martin wins and leads the most laps at Phoenix, he would become the new championship leader if Johnson finishes 14th or worse and doesn't lead a lap.(11-11-2009)
AND II if Gordon wins at Phoenix and leads the most laps, he could leave Pheonix with the points lead IF Martin finishes 5th or worse and leads no laps and Johnson finishes 27th or worse and doesn't lead a lap.(11-13-2009)

Jeff Gordon hands over keys to his Corvette: On Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway, #24-Jeff Gordon handed over the keys to his personal Corvette to new owner Richard Sivulich, the winner of the 2009 The Jeff Gordon Foundation Corvette Raffle. Sivulich, of Highland, Ind.., traveled to Texas to meet Gordon and receive the keys and title to the 2008 Z06 Corvette which was previously owned by the 82-time winner. This year’s ceremony was particularly special as Emily, Mycah and Jordan, the three young ladies featured in the corvette raffle commercial, assisted with the presentation. The Jeff Gordon Foundation launched this year’s Corvette Raffle -- now in its fourth year -- in early April and sold out all 5,000 tickets by mid-September. Tickets purchased for this raffle support the Foundation’s fight against pediatric cancer, their support of the Jeff Gordon Children’s Hospital and the Texas Chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities. As part of the festivities, Sivulich and the three girls assisted Gordon in presenting the Texas Chapter Speedway Children’s Charities with a check for $100,000. A $15,000 check was also presented to the Children’s Medical Center in Dallas in honor of Emily, Mycah and Jordan. For more information about this year’s TEN Match campaign and The Jeff Gordon Foundation visit www.jeffgordonfoundation.org.(JGF)(11-8-2009)

Delphi continues relationship with Hendrick Motorsports: Delphi announced that it will continue its associate sponsorship of Hendrick Motorsports during the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. The announcement was made at a press conference held at the Automotive Aftermarket Products Expo (AAPEX) in Las Vegas. Delphi will be the primary sponsor for two Sprint Cup races with driver Mark Martin in the #5 Delphi/GoDaddy.com Chevy. The race details will be announced in the near future. Additionally, Delphi will be an associate sponsor of all Hendrick Motorsports 2010 Sprint Cup entries. Delphi will continue to be featured on the uniforms of all Hendrick Motorsports drivers for the 2010 season, including four-time Sprint Cup champion #24-Jeff Gordon, three-time defending Sprint Cup champion #48-Jimmie Johnson, #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. and #5-Mark Martin. "Our long-standing relationship with Delphi has been fantastic," said Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports. "The association has been incredibly important to our company from both a quality and technology standpoint, and we look forward to having Delphi continue as a key partner for the 2010 season."(HMS)(11-3-2009)

Gordon, most 2nd place finishes in season since 1980: #24-Jeff Gordon has eight second-place finishes in 2009, tied for the most since 1980, plus Gordon has five more races to have the most:
Year -- Driver -- Second-place finishes
1983 -- Darrell Waltrip -- eight
2009 -- Jeff Gordon -- eight
1996 -- Dale Jarrett -- seven
1996 -- Terry Labonte -- seven [1996 champ]
1994 -- Dale Earnhardt -- seven [1994 champ]
1981 -- Bobby Allison -- seven
1981 -- Harry Gant -- seven
(from ESPN and updated since)(10-25-2009)

Hendrick Motorsports One Victory Shy Of Tying Martinsville Mark: Since the 21st Century began, NASCAR's Sprint Cup teams have been faced with not only overcoming the traditional mechanical challenges presented by Martinsville Speedway, but also trying to figure a way to defeat Hendrick Motorsports at the circuit's shortest track. Ever since Jeff Gordon won his first race at the tough paper clip-shaped track in September 1996, Hendrick Motorsports has gained strength at the speedway, similar to that exhibited by Petty Enterprises in the 1960s and '70s. By the time the 1990s ended, Gordon had three victories at the track. It was 2003, however, when the Hendrick Motorsports domination began.
Gordon swept the track's two races in 2003. Then, teammate Johnson collected his first Martinsville win in October 2004. However, there was no jubilation as Johnson and the rest of the motorsports community learned after the checkered flag that a Hendrick Motorsports' team plane had crashed on a foggy Virginia mountain that morning en route to the race. Among the losses were Rick Hendrick's son, his brother, two nieces and the organization's engine department head Randy Dorton. Tony Stewart's helicopter pilot also was on the ill-fated plane. From that day forward, Denny Hamlin is the only driver to have won at Martinsville since that day who doesn't have a connection to the plane crash. Gordon swept the 2005 races, while Stewart and Johnson split the 2006 events. Johnson then won three straight before Hamlin broke his string of victories in March 2008. Johnson returned to the victory podium in October 2008 and has been there ever since.
With Johnson winning this year's spring race at Martinsville, he now has claimed five of the track's last six Sprint Cup events. His 41st career Sprint Cup victory in March provided Hendrick Motorsports with its 10th win in the last 13 Martinsville races. Overall, Hendrick has collected 18 Martinsville victories, just one shy of tying Richard Petty as the winningest car owner in the track's history.(Darnell CommunicationsGlaxoSmithKline)(10-23-2009)

Jeff Gordon Foundation pledges $2.5 million: The Jeff Gordon Foundation commemorated A Decade of Caring -- it's 10th anniversary -- with friends and supporters at VanLandingham Estate on Oct. 14th where Gordon announced his Foundation will be donating and pledging $2.5 million this year. The Foundation's funding will support several initiatives including the development of the Pediatric Pulmonary Lab and Community Outreach Program at the Jeff Gordon Children's Hospital, the establishment of the Jeff Gordon Pediatric Cancer Research Fund at Riley Hospital for Children and the funding of the Phase I Long-Term Follow-Up Program focused on the effects of treatment on the health and quality of life of cancer patients. "Looking back at the past 10 years it's amazing to see the tremendous growth of the Foundation and the number of children that we have been able to help," Gordon said. "I am also pleased that we are able to provide such a large commitment this year even in these difficult economic times." Since its inception in 1999, The Jeff Gordon Foundation has awarded nearly $10 million to the country's top childhood health organizations. To assist the Foundation this year a campaign called TEN Match was created to gather support and to celebrate the Foundation's 10-year anniversary. For every donation of $10 or more, Gordon will personally match the contribution. Through generous donors, great strides in the support of pediatric cancer research and treatment and the Jeff Gordon Children's Hospital continue to be made.(JGF)(10-22-2009)

Last 2009 race for National Guard on the #24: This season, Gordon and the #24 team helped bring awareness to the National Guard's community initiatives, which were showcased on the #24 DuPont/National Guard Chevy in seven Sprint Cup Series events. This weekend's race at Martinsville marks Gordon's final event of the year with the National Guard. In six of the seven outings with the National Guard on the hood of his #24 Chevy this season, Gordon has scored a top-five finish. His best effort was a win at Texas Motor Speedway in April, while he also scored runner-up finishes at Atlanta in March, Michigan in June and Chicagoland in July. He finished fifth at Darlington in May and third at Richmond in September. This weekend at Martinsville Speedway, the National Guard's official Web site -- nationalguard.com -- will be showcased on the hood of the #24 DuPont/National Guard Chevy. Crew chief Steve Letarte has chosen Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 24-524 for Sunday's race at Martinsville. Gordon has raced this car twice in 2009, picking up a fourth-place finish at Martinsville in March and a third-place finish at Richmond in September.(HMS)(10-21-2009)

Gordon says back is doing better: #24-Jeff Gordon met with media Thursday at Lowe's Motor Speedway and discussed many items, including the llatest on his back problems: SPEAKING OF TREATMENTS, HOW IS YOUR BACK DOING?
"I'm happy to report nothing. Everything is good. I haven't had any issues. The last little scare was Watkins Glen and I didn't know how long it was going to take to recover from that and I feel like I'm fully recovered from that and I haven't had any back issues. I mean it's still there, but I haven't had pain or anything that's been too uncomfortable or any distraction in the car, so I'm happy about that. We've basically been doing the same things. During the week I would go to a chiropractor and get different types of treatments that they call manipulation, where they just stretch you out as much as they can, literally stretching each spinal cord in the lumbar area to try to just give it some relief; as well as the stem treatment. I mentioned that last week. It is electric-static stuff making the muscles do things which is the best way I can describe it (laughs). It's supposed to loosen the muscles up. So I do that during the week. I've been able to incorporate some of that on the weekends because I like what that does and some adjustments as well."(Chevy Racing)(10-16-2009)

Transformers scheme for Gordon:
In Saturday night’s NASCAR Banking 500 only from Bank of America at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, Jeff Gordon will drive a specially painted #24 DuPont Chevy promoting the October 20 debut of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen on DVD and Blu-ray. Megatron, the malevolent leader of the Decepticons, will be featured on the Hendrick Motorsports Impala SS.(HMS), see images of the scheme on my #24 Team Schemes page.(10-14-2009)

Gordon’s Crew claims Tissot Pit Road Precision Award: Jeff Gordon’s crew took top honors in Sunday’s Sprint Cup race at Auto Club Speedway, claiming the Tissot Pit Road Precision Award, which pays $5,000 each week to the winning team. It was the fourth Tissot win of the season for the #24 crew, which moved into sole possession of second place in the pit road standings. With six races remaining, Greg Biffle’s crew leads the Tissot standings with six wins. The crew with the most wins following the 36-race Cup schedule will collect a $100,000 bonus plus Tissot watches for the crew and driver. Gordon’s DuPont Chevy spent the least amount of time on pit road at Auto Club Speedway (295.170 seconds). The outstanding effort lifted Gordon to a second-place finish in the Pepsi 500. Gordon's pit crew consists of: Clay Robinson (front-tire changer), Mike Houston (front tire carrier), Tim Ladyga (rear-tire changer), Jeff Knight (rear-tire carrier), Jeff Cook (jackman), Caleb Hurd (gasman), Jamie Frady (catch can) and Andy Kruep (eighth man). The pit crew coach is Greg Morin.(Tissot), for season standings and race-by-race wins, see my 2009 Pit Crew News & Awards page(10-13-2009)

Pepsi flavors movie-race combo: UPDATE: Pepsi plans to own the airwaves Sunday on ABC with at least six different 30-second ads, presenting sponsorship of a one-hour movie about Hendrick Motorsports' 25th anniversary and title sponsorship of the race broadcast, as well as title sponsorship of the race that day at Auto Club Speedway.(SportsBusinessJournal.com)(10-6-2009)
UPDATE: Pepsi has been a sponsor at Hendrick Motorsports for 12 of those 25 years and the soft drink giant saw an opportunity to shout its new brand positioning—"Every generation refreshes the world"—through extensive activation on ABC, at the track and online. Pepsi, as a longtime sponsor with Jeff Gordon, was approached about a presenting sponsorship deal earlier this year that would give the soft drink brand placement in the film, as well as rights to the trailer, which has been available on Pepsi's website, RefreshEverything.com/Hendrick. Pepsi's presenting sponsorship of the film went for $300,000 to $400,000, industry insiders said, which went toward funding the project along with other sponsorship from HendrickCars.com and Lowe's. Race sponsorships typically go for about $1 million. NASCAR Media Group was prepared to make a time buy on ABC before a Sprint Cup race in September, but when Pepsi came on board as presenting sponsor, it made the decision a no-brainer to pair the movie with Pepsi's race at Auto Club Speedway. NASCAR Media Group bought the hour on ABC Sunday at 1:30 p.m. ET, leading up to Pepsi 500 coverage. Pepsi, through its website, then invited fans to submit videos saluting Hendrick, specifically asking "How has Hendrick Motorsports refreshed your life?" One of the six ads will be a collection of fan submissions, while the rest will be vignettes with drivers, Hendrick employees and others in the sport congratulating Hendrick. The ads will air during the movie, as well as in the race broadcast.(Sporting News)(10-6-2009)

Gordon & Newman to run Transformer schemes: an advertisement on ESPN's NASCAR page details a sweepstakes: The ESPN/Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Sweepstakes, to promote the release of the Transformers II DVD in which it mentions that #24-Jeff Gordon (Megatron) and #39-Ryan Newman (Optimus Prime), are scheduled to run Tranformers II paint schemes in the Sprint Cup race at Lowe's Motor Speedway on Oct 11th. For more info on the contest, see my Racing Contest page. Images of the schemes are posted on my #24 Team Schemes and #39 Team Schemes pages.(10-3-2009)

Gordon, Earnhardt, Jr. lay wreath at Arlington: In the humid stillness of Arlington National Cemetery on Thursday afternoon, #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr., #24-Jeff Gordon and team owner Rick Hendrick solemnly walked down a set of stairs toward the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. They lined up, along with a member of the military honor guard who ceremonially patrol the tomb, and then stepped forward together to place a wreath in front of the giant marble structure. Hands over their hearts, they stood silently amidst the quiet of the cemetery where more than 330,000 men and women are buried. A few minutes later, in the basement of a nearby building just down the hall from the guards' quarters, the two National Guard-sponsored drivers reflected on the magnitude of what they had just experienced. "I was just nervous," Earnhardt Jr. said. "I get real nervous around appearances, but this one was real heavy. There's a lot of responsibility, and that was definitely the case for this." Like Earnhardt Jr., Gordon had never visited Arlington before and said he regretted not doing so earlier. "This is something I think every American should experience," Gordon said. "The peace, the security that we feel in the safety of our country is because of the men and women here at Arlington."(SceneDaily)(9-25-2009)

Yellow Ribbon featured on #24 car at NHMS: This weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, the National Guard's Yellow Ribbon program will be showcased on the hood of Jeff Gordon's #24 DuPont/National Guard Chevy. Yellow Ribbon helps prepare families for upcoming deployments and educates them on the multiple family programs made available while their soldier is deployed. By providing the families of soldiers the necessary care, support and services, they are able to maintain a normal life through the entire deployment cycle. Visit nationalguard.com/guardracing to learn more about the program. In every outing with the National Guard on the hood of his #24 Chevy this season, Gordon has scored a top-five finish. His best effort was a win at Texas (April), while he also scored runner-up finishes at Atlanta in March, Michigan in June and Chicago in July. He finished fifth at Darlington in May and third at Richmond on Saturday. Crew chief Steve Letarte has chosen Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 24-542 for Sunday's race at New Hampshire. Gordon drove this particular car to an eighth-place finish at Richmond in May and a second-place finish at New Hampshire in June. Gordon's final race with the National Guard will be at Martinsville Speedway on Oct. 25. Friends and family members can share why their current soldier is an inspiration and a hero to them by visiting youreverydayhero.com from Sept. 10-28. Chevy will choose the top-five stories, and the public will vote on the site Oct. 5-22 for its favorite story. The soldier with the most votes will win a 2010 Chevrolet Equinox and will be a VIP guest at the Nov. 11 CMA awards, along with their immediate family.(HMS)(9-18-2009)

4-H emblem to appear on #24 car at Kansas: National 4-H Week will take off with a speedy start on October 4th, as the 4-H emblem makes its debut appearance in a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. The well-known national icon will be featured on the ‘TV panel’ of the #24 DuPont Chevy driven by Jeff Gordon at Kansas Speedway that day. The placement of the 4-H clover on the #24 Chevy was made possible through a generous donation by DuPont, sponsor of both the #24 team and of 4-H. “The appearance of the 4-H emblem on Jeff Gordon’s car in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup is a wonderful salute to 4-H by DuPont, and an amazing way for us to begin National 4-H Week,” said Donald T. Floyd, Jr., president and CEO of National 4-H Council. “Now, millions of current 4-H’ers, 4-H alumni and racing fans alike can watch with excitement as the clover takes to the track for the first time.” National 4-H Week is the annual celebration for the 100-year old youth development organization. The highlight of the week includes the highly anticipated, 4-H National Youth Science Day, which brings together millions of youth to participate in the National Science Experiment. This year’s experiment, Biofuel Blast, will introduce youth to alternative energy. DuPont is a premier sponsor of 4-H National Youth Science Day and the Biofuel Blast National Science Experiment (4-H Site), see an image of the car on my #24 Team Schemes page.(9-18-2009)

PRS Guitars donates guitars to drivers: This year’s Chevy Rock & Roll 400 marks the fifth year that one winning NASCAR driver will walk away with a four foot tall, fifty pound trophy custom designed and built by PRS [Paul Reed Smith] Guitars from Stevensville, Maryland. In addition, this year six drivers will leave the track with their own PRS guitar that will help aid many more people down the road.
Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick, and Clint Bowyer have each won a race in Richmond under the domain of Chevrolet. To honor their success and their efforts, PRS held a special press conference Friday at Richmond International Raceway, during which PRS President, Jack Higginbotham presented the aforementioned drivers with a PRS Corvette guitar for their individual charities. Jack Higginbotham, President of Paul Reed Smith Guitars, said, “It is our hope that each of these guitars will develop its own story and have a positive effect on the lives of others. Whether it is cancer research, shelter for the needy or assistance for underprivileged children, each driver has a passion for their cause, and we are honored to help them in their mission.”
PRS’s extensive involvement in racing began with a sponsorship of the world dominating factory Corvette C6.r racing team in 2003. During the past six years, PRS’s involvement in racing has ranged from being a part of large-scale NASCAR events to its own grassroots “Laps For Life” charity event helping support the Kimmel Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, Maryland.(PRS Guitars site)(9-12-2009)

Dale Jr. and Jeff Gordon visting National Guard Unit: Before heading to Richmond, #24-Jeff Gordon and #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. will stop in Nashville, Tenn., to attend the 131st National Guard Association of the United States conference. Gordon and Earnhardt Jr. will meet with top leadership, including the National Guard's first four-star general, Gen. Craig R. McKinley.(HMS)(9-10-2009)

Wounded Warriors featured on the #24 at Richmond: The National Guard will honor Wounded Warriors on the hood of Jeff Gordon's #24 Chevy this weekend at Richmond. The National Guard has a program in place that ensures that the medical and personal needs of soldiers who have been wounded as a result of deployment are met so they can focus on transitioning back into their professional and personal lives in their communities. This safeguards the long-term health and well-being of those who answer the call to duty. Visit nationalguard.com to learn more. This season, Gordon and the #24 team are helping to bring awareness to the National Guard's community initiatives, which will be showcased on the #24 DuPont/National Guard Chevrolet in eight Sprint Cup Series events. In addition to this weekend at Richmond, Gordon will partner with the National Guard at two other venues: New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sept. 20 and Martinsville Speedway on Oct. 25. Friends and family members can share why their current soldier is an inspiration and a hero to them by visiting youreverydayhero.com from Sept. 10-28. Chevy will choose the top-five stories, and the public will vote on the site for its favorite story from Oct. 5-22. The soldier with the most votes will win a 2010 Chevrolet Equinox and will be a VIP guest at the Nov. 11 CMA awards, along with their immediate family.(HMS)(9-10-2009)

Congrats to Jason Burdett, car chief for #24-Jeff Gordon, and wife Rachael who are celebrating the birth of son, Ethan Michael Burdett, born on August 31, 2009.(9-3-2009)

Tom Cruise to narrate Hendrick Documentry Film: "TOGETHER: The Hendrick Motorsports Story," NASCAR Media Group's documentary-style film chronicling the history of the eight-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship team, will air Sunday, Oct. 11 at 1:30pm/et on ABC prior to the network's Pepsi 500 race coverage from [Auto Club Speedway] Fontana, CA. Narrated by three-time Academy Award nominee Tom Cruise and presented by Pepsi, "TOGETHER" employs exclusive interviews, never-before-seen archival footage, thrilling racing sequences and rare family photography to detail the personal relationships and emotional events that have shaped one of NASCAR's most decorated organizations. The official "TOGETHER" trailer is available at www.refresheverything.com/hendrick. The Web site will feature regular updates of content from the film and provide fans the opportunity to upload video messages about their favorite Hendrick Motorsports moments. Select fan-generated clips will be shown during the Oct. 11 broadcast on ABC. The full-length version of "TOGETHER" with bonus material will be released Oct. 31 on DVD, and it will become NASCAR Media Group's first officially licensed title available on Blu-ray Disc. A portion of Hendrick Motorsports' proceeds from those sales will benefit the Levine Children's Hospital in Charlotte, N.C. Cruise, an auto racing enthusiast who starred in the 1990 NASCAR-themed motion picture "Days of Thunder," completed the narration work for "TOGETHER: The Hendrick Motorsports Story" in Los Angeles last month. The script was co-written by Emmy Award winners Shawn Truax and Ray Didinger. Film director Rory Karpf has spearheaded such projects as the Dale Earnhardt biopic "DALE," now the best-selling sports DVD in history, and the critically acclaimed "Ride of Their Lives." The NASCAR Media Group production team responsible for "TOGETHER: The Hendrick Motorsports Story" earned back-to-back Sports Emmy Awards in 2006 and 2007 for "Beyond the Wheel" and "Quest for the Cup."(HMS)(9-2-2009)

Gordon talks about his back, for a bit: Jeff Gordon, #24 DuPont Chevy, met with media and discussed the condition of his back: HOW’S YOUR BACK?
“It's alright. Couple rough days, but feeling pretty good. So, you know it was a hard hit and that’s an area that I’m focused and working on for…. moving forward as a safety aspect I feel like we have done a great job with head, neck, shoulders and hips but the last couple hits I have had have really affected my midsection especially my back. So it's something we are going to look into for the future. I took a shot and worked through it the next couple days and am here, ready to go.”
WOULD YOU BE MORE CONCERNED IN THE OLD CAR LIKE TEN YEARS AGO WITH LESS SAFETY PRECAUTIONS OUT THERE WITHOUT SAFER WALLS, ETC ABOUT YOUR BACK RIGHT NOW?
“You know it's just weird because in the old days with the older car I worried way more about my neck and head injuries than anything else. I think what is happened is that as we have gotten better with the technology of the seats and the belts and how we are strapped in the car its created new areas in the car that we have to focus on and you know, that is what happens as you evolve with engineering and safety and the speeds of the cars and everything. You start to narrow down the weaker links and right now the weakest link is that midsection and we don’t have a way of isolating that area.”
IS THERE EVER A TIME WHEN YOU WOULD TAKE A WEEKEND OFF TO REST YOUR BACK AT ALL? YOU'RE SAFE IN THE POINTS
"Ah, I think right now it's just too important to still get bonus points and chemistry of the team. I think it would take away momentum and chemistry. If I had a diagnosis from a doctor that told me I was in danger of a major injury, then I would consider it, certainly. But I haven't had that. My issues are spasms or something like that. It's not consistent. I was worse at the beginning of the year than I am now and I had the whole off-season (laughs). So no, I haven't considered it."(Chevy Racing)
AND Speaking at Michigan International Speedway on Friday, Gordon admitted to having a "couple of rough days" after a wreck at Watkins Glen on Monday aggravated his already-ailing back. But when pressed to talk about the injury, one that's been bothering him to varying degrees for months, Gordon grew a little testy - a rare loss of composure for one of NASCAR's most calm and collected drivers. "Man, let's stop talking about my back," he said, speaking to a small group of reporters in the garage area. "We're done talking about my back. Let's move on. I'm here. I'm fine. Let's move on to something else."(Associated Press)(8-15-2009)

More on Jeff Gordon's back: #24-Jeff Gordon is looking forward to a smoother drive this weekend at Michigan International Speedway after taking a hard hit during Monday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event at Watkins GlenInternational. During Monday's road course event at The Glen, Gordon was involved in a frightening accident when Sam Hornish Jr.'s race car slid into a tire barrier and spun directly into the path of the #24 DuPont Chevy. The violent hit certainly did not help Gordon's already aching lower back. "My back is stiff today, but I'll be fine and ready to go this weekend," Gordon said Tuesday afternoon. "Luckily, Michigan is up next and it's been pretty easy on my back in the past."(HMS Site)(8-11-2009)

Gordon's back sore after wreck: Jeff Gordon quotes following multi-car accident on lap 61 with #77-Hornish Jr. and #31-Burton:
MAN THAT LOOKED PAINFUL. "It was. It wasn't that hard of a hit its just my back can't stand too many hits. I really was concerned for Sam (Hornish). He took a heavy hit into the wall, a heavy hit by me and Jeff Burton. I saw him go off into the grass and I knew he was going to come out in front of me and I was just hoping to squeeze by and didn't make it. It just made a rough weekend for the DuPont Chevrolet even worse. Now we just leave here and focus on Michgian."
HOW DO YOU FEEL RIGHT NOW? "I'm hurting. Everything feels good except my lower back where I've already had issues. It will jsut take a couple of weeks for it to heal. By then we'll go to Bristol and get through that then we'll be alright."
HOW IS YOUR BACK? ARE YOU OKAY? "It's just not what I needed you know. You take three or four steps forward up to this point, and you take a hit like that and you take a couple steps backwards. So yeah, it was a heavy impact. I'm just glad Sam (Hornish) is all right.
WHAT WILL YOU HAVE TO DO THIS WEEK TO GET READY FOR MICHIGAN NEXT WEEK WITH YOUR BACK?
"Oh, Michigan is pretty easy. If we were going to Bristol next week, I'd be concerned. So we've got a couple of weeks to hopefully heal. We went through this at Dover when I hit at Dover and hurt my back as well. Every time I hit something it takes a toll on my back, but it seems to recover. But when you're braking that hard it's already pretty tight and then you hit like that and it spasms a bit. But we'll be all right.
ARE YOU SORE? "Oh man, my left side and my back is super sore. It's going to take probably a couple of weeks for it to heal completely and then we'll be back to new. This happened at Dover when I hit the wall in Dover it was similar. This is a little bit different angle and it's hurting. Luckily we've got Michigan coming up next weekend. It's pretty easy on things."
HOW MUCH DO YOU PROTECT YOUR BACK NOW? "There's nothing you can do. You got to get out there and you've got to just hope you don't get into situations. It's not life-threatening or anything its just painful. I've had MRI's and everything else after these things and everything looks fine. It's just some spasms that go on. You've just got to calm that down but it doesn't just calm down by itself in a day. It really does take a couple of weeks."(Chevy Racing)(8-11-2009)

Gordon's back doing better: #24-Jeff Gordon met with media and discussed many issues, including fielding a question about his ailing back:
ON HIS BACK PAIN: "Yeah, it's been really nice to not get asked too many of those questions these days, or it seems like it's tapering off a little bit which is kinda nice because it started to get a little bit too much (laughs). It's slightly improved since the beginning of the year and then it's just sort of leveled off where I'm just able to deal with the pain that's there, or the discomfort. At these types of tracks it's more discomfort than it is pain. At Bristol is where we're really going to find out just where I'm at. I was in a lot of pain there the last race and that seems to be the toughest race. But for this weekend, there shouldn't be any issues. We're in good shape."(Chevy Racing)(8-2-2009)

Jeff Gordon still having back problems: #24-Jeff Gordon says he has decided not to have a second procedure to deal with an achy back and instead will try to deal with the pain. Gordon said Saturday during qualifying for Sunday's race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway that the first procedure didn't help much and he doesn't see the point in having another injection of anti-inflammatory medication. Gordon has been dealing with a sore back for several months but ruled out surgery because it was too invasive. Instead he will continue to focus on a series of stretching exercises and physical training in hopes the condition will improve.(Associated Press)(7-26-2009)