Jeff Gordon

October 1, 2003
In a curiously plodding memoir, NASCAR superstar Gordon (known for many years as"Wonderboy" thanks to his youth and Dale Earnheardt's sharp tongue) reveals the hard work it takes to be a four-time Winston Cup champion. He also addresses what it's like to hear crowds cheer when his car blows an oil fitting, deal with allegations--some deeply crude--about his sexual orientation, and be hero to some folks and villain to others. Gordon attributes the resentment out there to his youthful success, his testy relationship with NASCAR demi-god Dale Earnhardt, Sr. (though he says they had great respect for each other) and his failure to embody the sport's good ol' boy image (Gordon hales from California, prefers scuba diving to hunting, and likes to hang out in New York). But diehard Earnhardt fans may be even more offended by Gordon's business sense: as revealed here, Gordon approaches NASCAR from the standpoint of an executive in a corporate entertainment franchise. He presides over a vast assemblage of engineers, mechanics, pit crews, PR functionaries and"affiliated companies," and his book is preoccupied with such managerial issues as work schedules, sponsor relations ("I've done everything in my power to make sure they're happy with their investment"), human resources ("To attract and retain the best people, we've got to be conscious of those personal needs"), business philosophy ("continuous, incremental improvement"), and motivational lectures on the importance of teamwork. The perfunctory race narratives bear out these homilies; occasionally Gordon wins through adroit driving, but races are usually decided by engineering, mechanical failure, pit-stop mishaps, running out of gas, and other factors outside the driver's control. Gordon's memoir is a corrective to NASCAR's cult of the celebrity driver, but the book's colorless MBA-speak makes racing seem about as interesting as watching cars drive around in a circle.