In addition to his racing talent, as displayed by his winning 92 Sprint Cup races, #24-Jeff Gordon is known for having an emotional, sentimental side. That was on display Thursday in Pittsboro, Indiana, a town with a population of less than 1,000 when he moved there from California at age 14 so he could legally race. With crowds lining Main Street, Gordon waved to fans during a parade in his honor four days before the Sprint Cup Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Gordon won the inaugural Sprint Cup event in 1994 at IMS, just a 20-minute drive from Pittsboro, and has won the race a record five times. The Hendrick Motorsports driver will get one last chance Sunday, as the four-time Sprint Cup champion has announced his retirement from full-time NASCAR racing this year. Gordon delighted the locals “ the town has grown to more than 3,000 “ with a speech after the parade Thursday afternoon. He was presented by Indiana Gov. Mike Pence with a Sagamore of the Wabash award, which is the highest civilian honor bestowed by the governor. Gordon already has a road named for him in the town. Among the other honors and accolades Thursday during Jeff Gordon Day, the 43-year-old Gordon also was presented an official police badge for the city.(ESPN.com)(7-24-2015)
