How the “Tiger Woods” of NASCAR Took Over the Reigns From Dale Earnhardt Sr. After His Demise, Breaking the Old-School Mold

It’s not every day you see someone completely change the game, but over the years, we’ve witnessed a few drivers who’ve done just that in NASCAR. First, there was Lee Petty, and then his son, “The King” Richard Petty, who carried the torch and helped make NASCAR the big deal it is today. Richard racked up 7 championships between the 1960s and 1970s, setting a standard of excellence that many thought would never be surpassed. But then, in the 1980s, the Earnhardt era kicked off.

Dale Earnhardt Sr. clinched his first Cup championship in 1980 and, along with it, the Rookie of the Year title. Before long, Dale Sr. was a household name and a true Southern icon. He went on to win 7 championships, putting him on track to break Petty’s record. But then, in 2001, tragedy struck when Earnhardt Sr. passed away in a crash during the Daytona 500. The sport lost a legend, and NASCAR could’ve very easily started to fade… but then came Jeff Gordon.

How did Jeff Gordon become NASCAR’s new face?

Flashback to the mid-90s. Dale Sr. was still dominating, even snagging his 7th title in 1994. Meanwhile, a young Jeff Gordon, just 22 years old, was starting to make waves. He finished 8th that year and won two races. A lot of people probably thought it would take time for Gordon to work his way to the top, but Gordon had other plans. In 1995, just a year later, he became the second-youngest NASCAR Cup Series champion, edging out Earnhardt Sr., who finished second—just 34 points shy of his 8th title.

This set off a wave of resentment among some of the older NASCAR fans. They saw Jeff Gordon as the guy who kept Earnhardt from breaking Petty’s record. Every time Gordon won, it felt like another lost opportunity for Earnhardt, and the rivalry only grew. By 1997, when Gordon won 10 races and secured his second championship, Earnhardt Sr. went winless for the first time since 1981. Gordon, ever the competitor, admitted, “It took me a little while to understand, no matter what I did, as long as I was going up against Earnhardt, I was always sort of going to be the bad guy.”

But Gordon’s rise ended up being a big win for NASCAR as a whole. Before Gordon’s dominance, NASCAR was still seen as a regional sport—mostly popular in the South. But Gordon broke that mold. The California native dazzled with his clean-cut image, boyish good looks, and polished attitude, introduced the sport to a younger, more diverse crowd. Sure, the hardcore fans didn’t always love him, but they couldn’t ignore his talent. Eventually, they came around.

As the 2001 Daytona tragedy unfolded, Gordon was there, helping to steady the ship. Texas Motor Speedway president Eddie Gossage put it perfectly when he said, “If Jeff hadn’t been there when we lost Dale Earnhardt [in 2001], I’m not sure where we would be as a sport. Jeff was a vital bridge, a passing of the torch from Petty to Earnhardt to Gordon.”

In 2001, Gordon won his fourth title, and for many years, he continued to dominate. He didn’t quite reach the 7 championships that Earnhardt Sr. and Petty achieved, but he certainly helped pave the way for future stars. Take Jimmie Johnson, for example, who said, “Jeff has obviously been a big part of my career. He’s an unbelievable race car driver, a great teammate, and a close friend. I go to Jeff for advice on a lot of things, not just related to racing.”

And Gordon didn’t just inspire drivers like 7x champion Johnson. He was a mentor to other young racers like Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman. His impact on the sport is undeniable. A Reddit user recently asked, “How influential was Jeff Gordon in promoting and expanding NASCAR’s popularity?” Ask any long-time NASCAR fan, and they’ll tell you: that Gordon’s influence was huge!

Veteran NASCAR fans list Gordon’s contributions

It might be hard for newer fans to understand, but older NASCAR fans know just how much Gordon contributed to the sport’s success. Back in the day, Fox Sports chairman David Hill credited Gordon with inspiring him to meet with Bill France Jr., which led to NASCAR’s first major TV deal. This brought NASCAR into living rooms all across the country, making it more accessible to a wider audience. And not just on the track, Gordon was impressing all kinds of fans. One fan answering the question said, “Dale Earnhardt Sr was what people thought NASCAR drivers were. Jeff Gordon came in, ran a season with a mustache, shaved it off (thank god), and started getting on the cover of GQ Magazine.” 

Modeling for GQ led to Gordon tapping into a new group of fans. Still, and also back in the day, GQ was a big deal, always featuring the top actors or athletes, but never a NASCAR driver, so it was a big deal. Gordon just had a likable face and persona, which was so different from the mid-west NASCAR phase of Petty or Earnhardt’s time. Maybe that for the need of the hour for NASCAR to evolve and Gordon just fitted right in.

Another fan wrote, “He was a well manicured, well spoken, and marketable winner that broke the mold for expectations in NASCAR. That combined with the much further reach of cable in the 90s made him the right guy at the right time for the sport. It’s basically the same idea as Tiger Woods for a different sport.”

And that’s where the comparison to Tiger Woods comes in. Just like Woods brought golf to a new audience, Gordon did the same for NASCAR. In fact, Gordon became just as much of a household name as Earnhardt Sr. had been. Fans who didn’t even follow NASCAR knew who Jeff Gordon was. One fan pointed out, “Ask everyone in the country to name three NASCAR drivers. Almost everyone will say Jeff Gordon, even people who haven’t watched a second of NASCAR.”

In addition to this, in 2003, Jeff Gordon hosted an episode of Saturday Night Live with Avril Lavigne. And SNL’s popularity quickly translated to NASCAR’s. “I think his hosting of Saturday Night Live speaks volumes about his popularity and influence. And he did a great job,” a fan talking about Gordon’s contributions wrote. Even Dale Jr. seems to agree with the fans on this being a big reason behind NASCAR’s growth in popularity. Jr. replied to the comment, “Came here to say this.”

Of course, we can’t talk about NASCAR’s modern evolution without mentioning Dale Earnhardt Jr. Just like Gordon, Jr. played a huge role in bringing new fans to the sport, especially after his father’s passing. One fan put it this way: “It was more him vs. Earnhardt—the heel vs. the baby face (Gordon) in wrestling terms. Then Jr. took it to a new fan after Sr. passed.” Dale Jr. not only carried forward the Earnhardt legacy, but he also carved out his own place in NASCAR history. Fans were crazy for him, with a recent race at Florence Motor Speedway even surpassing seating capacity as fans showed up just to see him race in his iconic #8 Budweiser car after over a decade.

So, what do you think? How big of an impact did Jeff Gordon really have on NASCAR? Drop your thoughts in the comments below, we’d love to hear from you.