“Jeff couldn’t race in California. He had pretty much grown past quarter midgets,” Jeff Gordon’s stepfather recalls how his son ended up racing in NASCAR
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Jeff Gordon and his stepfather John Bickford
Jeff Gordon who is currently the Vice President for Hendrick Motorsports also a former professional stock-car racer who drove the No.24 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series and Sprint Cup Series which are now known as the NASCAR Cup Series and he also drove the No.88 Chevrolet part-time for HMS in 2016 replacing Dale Earnhardt Sr. when required and speaking of which, Gordon wasn’t even supposed to enter stock-car racing about which his stepfather has spilled tea on.
John Bickford, Jeff Gordon’s stepfather was the sole purpose behind him entering into the racing career and he was pushed by Bickford to go participate in racing events. Soon, Jeff Gordon became a legend in the sport as he went on to win four NASCAR Cup Series Championships while also being the youngest driver to win one with his first in 1995 and then he also won the Daytona 500 thrice along with winning the Coca-Cola 600 thrice and he also took home four Brickyard 400 trophies and six Southern 500 trophies.
“Let’s move to Indiana. We want to run the Indianapolis 500 some-day,” Jeff Gordon’s stepfather had no plans of racing him in NASCAR as he aimed at the Indy 500
Jeff Gordon was pushed by his stepfather, John Bickford to enter the racing field but as soon as he got started by taking part in the quarter midgets, he was too old and too good for them which led him to not race in California anymore and they moved to Florida to race in a sprint car which was very different from the quarter midgets for him and he actually did a pretty impressive job there.
“Jeff couldn’t race in California. He had pretty much grown past quarter midgets. We always had the theory that we should be learning, not teaching. And if you’re winning all the time, you’re a teacher, not a learner. We made the decision to go to sprint cars, there was nothing between a quarter midget and a sprint car that you could do without being at least 16 years of age. So, we built a sprint car, went to Florida in 1985 and many people thought that he did a really good job,” said Jeff Gordon’s stepfather, John Bickford.
He further added by saying that they mustered all the confidence in them and went to race at Kings Speedway where they qualified and Gordon soon gained a lot of attention and started getting calls from sponsors and promoters and owners out of whom, one happened to be Cary Agajanian who pointed out that the required age for driving was 18 but he was just 13 at the time which made it impossible for him to drive.
“We immediately established a lot of confidence in ourselves, came home and we were allowed to hot lap and qualify at Kings Speedway in and the phones started ringing. And the other phone call was basically Cary Agajanian, famed attorney, promoter, and car owner, and a few people saying, ‘John, he’s not 18, man. At 16, maybe. But at most tracks, you’ve got to be 18 to race,’” added Jeff Gordon’s stepfather.
He concluded by saying that they moved to Indiana to race Jeff in the Indy 500 when he was old enough and they moved there but they needed 5 million USD for a sprint car and they were told that Buck Baker was the person who could help them with a stock car and that’s how it happened, that’s how Jeff Gordon got into stock-car racing and he never looked back.
“You know what? If we can put some stuff together, let’s move to Indiana. We want to run the Indianapolis 500 someday. Let’s go put ourselves as close to all the racing people, and we’ll run sprint cars, and when we get old enough, hopefully, we’ll be ready to find a ride at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and then Hugh Connerty came along. Hugh was a friend of Buck Baker’s and was there and he said, ‘Jeff, I really think you can drive a car. I’ll hire you to drive my car,’ and that’s pretty much the story,” concluded Jeff Gordon’s stepfather John Bickford.
If not for John Bickford, Jeff Gordon’s stepfather, the sport of stock-car racing would never have witnessed the legend on the track.
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