When Dale Earnhardt was ruling the NASCAR scene, a young Jeff Gordon was beginning to make a name for himself. The two had a fierce rivalry on the track, with fans on both sides having very strong views about one another. 

Speaking on the Bussin' with the Boys podcast, Jeff Gordon has now revealed one piece of advice from the late champion that has stuck with him. During the pre-race driver introductions at Sonoma in 1994, he was shocked to see fans holding anti-Gordon signs and hearing loud boos directed at him. 

So we're going around this track, and I'm seeing signs with a three and a circle and a line through it, and they're booing and all. I'm like, ‘What is going on?’ I expected everybody to be unanimous. It's Earnhardt, and we're cheering for him.

So I said, ‘Man, what's up with that?’ And he's like, ‘Kid, long as they're making noise…’, and they're making a lot of noise. Whether it was good or bad, that always stuck with me.”

Continuing in the same interaction, although Gordon admitted the criticism was difficult to ignore at times, he now sees those moments differently. Gordon also said he eventually realized that a sport needs intense rivalries for fans to have both heroes and villains, which fueled the passion of the NASCAR fan base at the time. 

Since then, he has come a long way, to the point of getting an entire exhibition dedicated to his career. 

How Jeff Gordon felt on seeing his exhibition at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Not too long ago, it was announced that the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, owned by Roger Penske, would celebrate Jeff Gordon’s legacy with a new exhibition opening on July 1, just ahead of the Brickyard 400 returning to the Speedway. 

Open until February 2027, visitors will get to see 13 cars that defined Gordon’s career, ranging from a 1985 sprint car to stock cars that won the Brickyard 400, Daytona 500, and Coca-Cola 600. 

Visitors will also see his iconic No. 24 rainbow and flame livery, the firesuit from his first sprint car win in 1986, the Williams F1 steering wheel from his famous swap in 2003 with JP Montoya, along with 70 of his helmets, among many other things. 

The four-time Cup Series champion told Indystar.com he was overwhelmed after seeing the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum's tribute to his career. He said he had expected to see a collection of cars and memorabilia, but the scale and attention to detail exceeded his expectations. 

Written by

Aaradhya Singh

Edited by

Suyashdeep Sason