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Former American stock car racing driver Jeff Gordon has become an iconic figure in popular culture. While Gordon became a household name among NASCAR fans for his driving career in the Sprint Cup Series, he has introduced the sport to a wider audience, largely through the media of the United States.
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Acting
Gordon has acted in films and television shows as both himself and fictional characters. He has also appeared in videos for Pepsi's YouTube channel, two of which have gone viral: Harlem Shake (Jeff Gordon Edition) and Pepsi MAX & Jeff Gordon Present: Test Drive. Two years before, in 2011, Gordon had worked with Pepsi Max to create the Road Trip to the Race Track video as a promotion prior to the Coke Zero 400. In September 2013, Gordon worked with actor Ron Howard in a series created by NASCAR known as The Crossing.
Documentaries
Gordon is the subject of a 2004 episode of the ESPN documentary television series SportsCentury. Gordon is also featured in other episodes of the program covering fellow drivers Dale Earnhardt and Tony Stewart.
Gordon's life on and off the track is profiled in the 2007 documentary television film 24 x 24: Wide Open with Jeff Gordon.
Gordon is featured in two documentary television films about Hendrick Motorsports: Together: The Hendrick Motorsports Story (2009) and Beyond 200: The Hendrick Motorsports Story (2012).
Television appearances
Gordon has appeared as a guest on Live! with Regis and Kelly, and has co-hosted the show ten times on days when Regis Philbin was unavailable.
In 2001, Gordon appeared on the Sports Superstars edition of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire which aired on September 10. He walked away with $32,000 after missing the $125,000 question.
In January 2003, Gordon became the first NASCAR driver to host Saturday Night Live, during its twenty-eighth season.
In 2010, Gordon made an appearance on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition which aired on April 11. Gordon helped the team rebuild a home for the Suggs family of Loris, South Carolina.
On January 9, 2013, Gordon appeared on an episode of I Get That a Lot. Gordon worked as an AutoZone employee, and attempted to sell Quaker State motor oil to customers without being recognized.
Gordon has also made appearances on: 60 Minutes, The American Athlete, American Idol, Celebrity Poker Showdown, Charlie Rose, Crook & Chase, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Fashion Police, Fox & Friends, Good Morning America, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Knock Knock Live, Larry King Live, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Late Show With David Letterman, Life & Style, On Air with Ryan Seacrest, Players, Rachael Ray, Sesame Street, Sidewalks Entertainment, Today, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Tony Danza Show, Top Gear, Unique Whips, The View, The Wayne Brady Show and WindTunnel with Dave Despain.
Fictional portrayals
In the King of the Hill episode "Life in the Fast Lane – Bobby's Saga," Gordon is portrayed less than favorably, screaming "Daddy!" in a nasal tone when his car spins out and hits the wall, alluding to earlier comments about how the main cast do not care for him because his father pulled strings to get him the car.
In the Celebrity Deathmatch episode "Sex, Lugs and Rock 'n' Roll," Gordon and Dale Earnhardt fight each other in a "demolition derby to the death."
In the South Park episode "Poor and Stupid," Gordon, along with fellow drivers Dale Earnhardt Jr., Danica Patrick, Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth and Tony Stewart, are lampooned in addition to NASCAR itself. Commenting on the episode, Gordon said he thought that, although the episode was making fun of NASCAR, it was still good publicity for the sport.
In a March 2015 Tank McNamara comic strip written and illustrated by cartoonist Bill Hinds, Gordon is portrayed as a private driver for the title character.
Media references
In the Aqua Teen Hunger Force episode "Kidney Car," Carl says "Hold on there, Jeff Gordon!" to Meatwad as the latter is going to claim the former's wrecked car, which was donated to the Aqua Teens by the "Kidney Foundation" after Meatwad was ruled inoperable for a kidney transplant. In the Danny Phantom episode "What You Want," during the flying car scene, Danny says to the driver, "Hey, slow down, Jeff Gordon!".
In the film Couples Retreat, Gordon is mentioned when Jason says, "If Jeff Gordon told you the oil was low, you'd want to change it."
Comedian Jeff Foxworthy jokes about Gordon's elocution in the track "Jeff Gordon Enunciates," featured on the album Big Funny.
Comedian and country artist Tim Wilson pokes fun at Gordon in "The Jeff Gordon Song," featured on the album Certified Aluminum: His Greatest Recycled Hits, Volume 1. Hip hop artist Nelly raps the lyrics "I drive fastly, call me Jeff Gord-on, in the black SS with the naviga-tion" in the song "E.I.," featured on the album Country Grammar. Country music parodist Cledus T. Judd sings "Just watchin' Jeff Gordon plow up a wall, puts a smile on Dale Jr.'s face" in the song "I Love NASCAR," featured on the album Bipolar and Proud.
Magazines
Gordon has appeared on the cover of several magazines, including TV Guide; Bluff; Autoweek; Sports Illustrated; and NASCAR Illustrated.
Video games
Gordon is the feature driver of the video game Jeff Gordon XS Racing, and is a guide for gamers to progress through the game, and also is an opponent in a later duel in the game. Gordon has appeared on the covers of the EA Sports NASCAR series games NASCAR 98 and NASCAR Thunder 2002, while Gordon and Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson are on the cover of NASCAR 06: Total Team Control, highlighting Team Control, the main addition of the game; he also appears on the cover of NASCAR 09, in which he serves as a mentor for players in the "Sprint for the Cup" mode. On May 15, 2015, he was announced as the cover driver of Eutechnyx's NASCAR '15.
Gordon appeared in Gran Turismo 5 as himself, providing tutorials on racing in NASCAR, which had been newly added to the series.