Jeff's first encounter with racing was when he was just a year old. He had tagged along with Kim (his older sister) on their mom's first date with a racing enthusist, which a few years later became their step father - John Bickford.
John wanted to nurture Jeff's need for speed so he gave Jeff a BMX bike at the tender age of 4. He was about to race, but his mom did not like the idea of her son racing kids older - and bigger than him. So a year later at age 5, Jeff "The Kid" Gordon went on to race quarter midgets.
His step dad had gone out and bought two quarter midgets. A pink one for Jeff's sister Kim, and a black one for young Gordon. Once he got his paws on it - he would practice for hours.

Jeff Gordon had accomplished so much in so little time. You could kind of say he was a phenomenon. Starting at the age of 8, Jeff went on to win all of the following:

He won his 1st quarter-midget championship in 1979 at age 8.

entering twenty-five races and winning them all against drivers 6-8 years older at age 9 in go-karts.

winning the national championship in both classes and in 1982 won his 2nd quarter-midget championship.

at age 13, won the Sprint Car Championship in his first year

Setting a record unmatched by anyone his age in the Sprint Car of winning 22 races, 21 poles and 55 top 5'

Critics today say that Gordon was born into a family of wealth and that he had it totally easy. Boy were they wrong! The truth here is that Jeff slept in the back of John's truck 'cause he couldn't drive the diesal down the free way. The critics also didn't know how they would make Belly pans (a device that prevents a vehicle going airborne) and selling them at the racetrack. Jeff sacraficed a lot as a youngster, but in the end it paid off.

Come 1984 John and Carol knew that Gordon had a special gift. Since Jeff had won every trophy possible in CA, they knew their best bets to help improve their son's talent was to move to the midwest. He could race open-wheel cars and race against adults, hence he couldn't in California due to age restrictions. So Bickford gave up his manufactoring business and the family moved to Pittsboro, IN (Not to far from Indianapolis).

When Jeff turned 16 in 1987, he earned his racing license from the United States Auto Club (USAC). The youngest ever to do so. In 1989 he had won the USAC midget rookie of the year award. It was a heady year for Jeff. He not only graduated High School but, raced in Australia and New Zealand. Experience that helped him get to where he is today.

While he was in High School he made a best friend where they would always compete against one another. Jeff missed Fridays due to him having to race that weekend somewhere, but sure enough he was there on Monday morning. During the winters Jeff and John would go down to FL to race.
In 1990, he won the USAC Midget Series National Championship. Becoming the youngest Midget Class Champion at the age of 19. Follow that up with the next year when he became the youngest USAC Silver Crown.

After graduating from High School Jeff went to the Buck Baker Driving School in NC. Although he did want to race in the F1, once he drove around the track in a stock car, he was hooked

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