10 Questions for Jeff Gordon

(2 of 2)

As a child, did you grow up wanting to be a racecar driver? Or did you have something else in mind? —Sara Simpson, Gulfport, Miss.
As a kid, you're not making a lot plans. I got into racing through my mom and my stepfather, particularly my stepfather. It really just started out as a hobby, and then we started having success. Then you start looking around at the big-time racecar drivers and they become your heroes. Once you get behind the wheel, you get past some of the fear, because anything new can be fearful. It doesn't matter if you're riding a bike or driving a racecar. And honestly, I think I've been more injured riding my bike than riding a racecar.

Related

Audio

Get the audio on-the-go

Download | Subscribe

Photos

A Look at Jeff Gordon's Career

More 10 Questions

• Ask Your Questions: Former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan

• Ask Your Questions: Documentary Maker Ken Burns

• 10 Questions for Jane Goodall

• 10 Questions for Alex Trebek

More 10 Questions

What are your feelings about being in the "Car of Tomorrow" for its first full season? —Kelly Alexander, El Dorado, Kans.
I'm excited about it. When it first came out, I wasn't a big fan. As a racecar driver and somebody who loves cars, and cool cars, you want something that's sleek and aerodynamic and cool looking. It took a lot for me to accept it. Now, the teams have really spent time looking at this car and the characteristics of it. We've really gotten the cars driving better. I think you're going to see the 50th anniversary Daytona 500 be one spectacular race.

How has becoming a father changed your perspective on life? —Chris Brockway, Chandler, Ariz.
It doesn't make me want to be less aggressive on the racetrack. I love what I do. It makes me more passionate because now I see real purpose. I want my family to be proud of me, I want my wife and my daughter to come and be a part of what's been a part of my life for so long. It's brought a whole new excitement to my life.

Do you feel that NASCAR is really a team sport? Or do you see this more as a partnership, with all of you sharing information but competing against each other for the championship? —Charles Musante, Fort Monroe, Va.
People are a little confused sometimes when we talk about teamwork and sharing information. Teamwork in any other sport means that you work together for your team to win. In our situation, we're all separate teams working together to make sure that one of us wins. We're all trying to do it ourselves. It's not that much different than, the All-Star event in basketball. You've got a lot of guys that are on the same team. But they're all individually trying to score the most points.

Critics describe NASCAR as watching cars go in circles. Has the growth of NASCAR's popularity surprised insiders like you? —C. W. Roberts, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Absolutely. Growing up racing, seeing a thousand people was a big deal. It was like, 'wow, I got a great crowd tonight.' I went to the Indianapolis 500 as a kid; that, to me, was just mind-boggling. Then when you get on the NASCAR circuit, and every weekend is like that, you're absolutely blown away. I've been blown away for so many years. I love bringing people to the track who haven't ever been to a race before. They're like, 'wow, everybody makes a big deal out of a baseball game that had 60,000 or 65,000 people.' We're averaging over 100,000. It's pretty nuts.

Over the last few years, NASCAR has seemed to take the raw emotion, good and bad, from race day? Is this is a positive thing? —Terry McDonald, Portland, Ore.
Here's the thing - there's a lot more media attention. So you're under a little bit more of a microscope these days. The penalty for showing your emotions sometimes can be bigger. But that's not good for the sport. The sport is built on personality, and fans love to see the jubilation of victory, and the frustration of defeat. They want to see people's true personality coming. That's one thing we've struggled with over the years.