Jeff Gordon and No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Car Win Big in Miami
NASCAR champ speeds to victory in Ford 400
Jeff Gordon's No. 24 Drive to End Hunger car crossed the finish line first in the Ford 400 at the Homestead-Miami Speedway in Florida on Nov. 20.
Victory in the No. 24 car — splashed with logos touting Gordon's crusade to wipe out hunger among older Americans — strengthened his hold on third place for most all-time NASCAR victories but wasn't enough to earn this year's NASCAR Sprint Cup championship.
The NASCAR champ has joined AARP and AARP Foundation in the Drive to End Hunger campaign and was named NASCAR Illustrated Person of the Year for his philanthropic work. The campaign supported a local food drive on Nov. 17 at Southland Mall in Miami.
Jeff Gordon's No. 24 Drive to End Hunger crossed the finish line first at the AdvoCare 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Tuesday.
The car — splashed with logos touting Gordon's crusade to wipe out hunger among older Americans — held off a challenge from his teammate Jimmie Johnson to earn his 85th career win and sole possession of third place for most all-time NASCAR victories.
The NASCAR champ has joined AARP and AARP Foundation in the Drive to End Hunger campaign. The campaign supported a local food drive on Sept. 1 at BJ's Wholesale Club in Conyers, Ga.
Up next: the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Richmond on Sept. 10.
The last time Jeff Gordon was at the Charlotte Motor Speedway in North Carolina, he broke out of a season-long funk and landed the top spot at the starting line. Although he didn't win the Coca-Cola 600 last year, the qualifying round gave him a much-needed boost for the rest of the Sprint Cup Series.
This year, Brad Keselowski took the pole for the Coca-Cola 600, but that won't stop Gordon in his Drive to End Hunger.
This is the fourth of 22 races in which Gordon will compete with the Drive to End Hunger car. Gordon joined the campaign with AARP and AARP Foundation with the goal to stamp out hunger among older Americans.
More than 6 million seniors struggle to get enough food, and they often are forced to skip meals. Among the 50 states, North Carolina has the ninth highest percentage of seniors at risk of going hungry.
How to help: Aren't able to participate in a food drive? Donate directly to the campaign.
See Jeff: Look for the Drive to End Hunger tent in uptown Charlotte at Food Lion Speed Street May 27-28 from noon to 11 pm. See the #24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet and bring your camera to get your picture taken with the car.
En español | Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday: Ricky Bobby, Will Ferrell's character in the 2006 comedy Talladega Nights, won't be there, but Jeff Gordon will.
The NASCAR champ is geared up to better his highest finish at the Alabama racetrack — eighth place last year.
Gordon has joined AARP and AARP Foundation in the Drive to End Hunger campaign. This is the fourth of 22 races in which Gordon will compete with the Drive to End Hunger car.
The program aims to stamp out hunger among older Americans. More than 6 million seniors struggle to get enough food, and they often are forced to skip meals. Among the 50 states, Alabama has the seventh highest percentage of seniors at risk of going hungry.
How to donate: Visit a participating Winn-Dixie in the Talladega area until Sunday to purchase a filled grocery bag of food to be distributed by the Community Food Bank of Central Alabama to help feed hungry seniors.
Jeff Gordon at Martinsville Speedway
Jeff Gordon and his No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet are gearing up for another chance at a title at the Martinsville Speedway Sunday. He knows the territory well: Gordon set a Sprint Cup Race record at the Ridgeway, Va., track in 1996 and has won seven times overall.
The NASCAR champ has joined AARP and AARP Foundation in the Drive to End Hunger campaign. This is the fourth of 22 races that Gordon will compete in with the Drive to End Hunger car.
The program aims to stamp out hunger among older Americans. More than 6 million seniors struggle to get enough food, and they often are forced to skip meals.
Virginia ranks as 22th among the 50 states where seniors are at risk of going hungry.
How to donate: Visit a participating Kroger grocery store in the Martinsville area until April 3, 2011, to buy an already-filled grocery bag of food. The food will be donated to local food pantries.
Jeff Gordon at Fontana
The last time NASCAR champ Jeff Gordon lined up at the Auto Club Speedway he didn't do as well as he wanted.
With the help of his No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet, he hopes to change that and take first place at the race track in Fontana, Calif.
Gordon, who took second place two years ago at the Sprint Cup Series in Fontana, has joined AARP and AARP Foundation in the Drive to End Hunger campaign. This is the third of 22 races that Gordon will compete in with the Drive to End Hunger car.
The program aims to stamp out hunger among older Americans. More than 6 million seniors struggle to get enough food, and they often are forced to skip meals.
California ranks as 18th among the 50 states where seniors are at risk of going hungry. The Drive to End Hunger campaign kicked off race week with a food drive on Thursday.
(More information about Thursday's food drive and other race week events in Fontana)
If you missed the drive, you can still donate directly to the Drive to End Hunger.
Jeff Gordon at Phoenix International Raceway
En español | If NASCAR fans didn't already know about Jeff Gordon's Drive to End Hunger, they do now. Gordon's No. 24 car — splashed with logos touting Gordon's crusade to wipe out hunger among older Americans — led for 105 laps and crossed the finish line first at the Subway Fresh Fit 500 at Phoenix International Raceway on Sunday.
Gordon's victory at NASCAR's second race of the 2011 season broke his personal 66-race winless drought.
The NASCAR champ has joined AARP and AARP Foundation in the Drive to End Hunger campaign. The campaign supported a local food drive at Phoenix's St. Mary's Food Bank held last Thursday, but on race day many Twitter followers pledged to donate $1 for every NASCAR point Gordon earned in the race — he got 48 — or $100 for the win.
The race was so touch-and-go that Gordon's No. 24 needed help from a teammate car to "draft" debris off his radiator grill that was causing his engine to overheat. He also pulled a nifty move on one of his competitors to retake the lead in the final laps. In his first post-victory interview, Gordon thanked his supporters: "I've been tweeting lately and to see all of the support from my followers it is just great motivation!"
Up next: the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Las Vegas on March 6.
If you missed the food drive or the Twitter challenge, you can still donate directly to the Drive to End Hunger.
Jeff Gordon at the Daytona 500
The anticipation mounted. It was the Daytona 500. It was a new season for NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon. And he had a new sponsor for his No. 24 car: the Drive to End Hunger, sponsored by AARP and AARP Foundation.
It wasn't meant to be for Gordon at Sunday's Daytona 500. In a 14-car crash that included three of his Hendrick Motorsports teammates, the NASCAR champ and his crumpled Chevy Impala were knocked out of competition.
Simon Bruty
NASCAR champ Jeff Gordon kicked off the first leg of the Drive to End Hunger campaign in Sunday's Daytona 500.
After a quick pit stop to assess the car's damage, the five-time champ continued to race for points. He finished 35 laps behind winner Trevor Bayne. At 20, Bayne became the youngest winner in Daytona history, breaking the record Gordon set when he won the race in 1997 at age 26.
Although it was the end of the line at Daytona, it's just the beginning for Gordon's goal of wiping out hunger. Next stop: Phoenix, for the Subway Fresh Fit 500 on Feb. 27.
Gordon will race his No. 24 — splashed with logos for the Drive to End Hunger campaign — through 22 NASCAR races to raise awareness of the campaign. The program aims to stamp out hunger among older Americans. More than 6 million seniors struggle to get enough food and often are forced to skip meals.
There are two ways to give:
- On Feb. 24 bring a nonperishable food item to St. Mary's Food Bank in Phoenix.
- Donate directly to Drive to End Hunger.