“Never Really Went Down After That”: How Jeff Gordon’s Life Changed Overnight After Historic Brickyard Win

Winning the inaugural Brickyard 400 in 1994 was, arguably, the most defining moment of Jeff Gordon’s career. The Hendrick Motorsports legend was just 23 years old at the time, and had achieved his maiden Cup Series win just weeks prior. Little did he know back then that he had won the first edition of what would become one of NASCAR’s crown jewel events in the future.

The Brickyard 400 had taken years in the making. A total of 86 cars turned up at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to try and make their way into the eventual 43-car field for the inaugural race. Among those who earned their way in were Indy 500 champions Danny Sullivan and A.J. Foyt. The sheer publicity and the $3.2 million prize had stirred up the hype.

Gordon, up to that point, was known as a promising youngster. It all changed at the end of the day on August 6, 1994. He became a racing superstar in a matter of hours. His team and his sponsors marketed the driver and his result through every avenue possible to rocket his fame into orbit.

“I think the next day or maybe Monday, Chevrolet had a full-page ad, and they put that up on a billboard, and I’m doing big-time interviews, we’re going to Disney World – that had never occurred up until that point. And I think it never really went down after that … My life, career, persona, marketability, all those things were almost an overnight change,” recalled Gordon recently.

The pizza perk Gordon received for winning the Brickyard 400

In the hours between his victory and his boom in popularity, Gordon had felt a sudden craving for pizza. He called Pizza Hut and ordered one for himself. However, he was told by the outlet that there would be a delay in delivery since a driver had won a crucial race on the speedway and that there was heavy traffic because of that.

“I’m like, ‘Oh man, that’s unfortunate’. On the inside, I’m saying, ‘I hate to do this. But man, if I’m ever going to use this…’ So, I said, ‘Would it make any difference if I told you I won that race’? And they kind of paused and said, ‘Wait, who are you’? I said, ‘Jeff Gordon’. ‘The Jeff Gordon that just won the race’? I was like, ‘Yes’,” narrated Gordon.

And since a NASCAR superstar should always have it, the pizza reached him in 20 minutes. Amid all the benefits and love that he got for winning the first Brickyard 400, the quick delivery is what he endearingly remembers. The win remains one of the most memorable victories for Hendrick Motorsports in its 40-year history.