This is the latest accepted revision, reviewed on 16 July 2018. Jeffery Michael 'Jeff' Gordon (born August 4, 1971) is an American former professional stock car racing driver, currently an announcer for Fox NASCAR, and a top executive for Hendrick Motorsports. NASCAR Drivers: ‘Hands and Feet of Jesus’. And even 83-year-old Jay Vaughn, a NASCAR fan who watched qualifying the day before, didn’t recognize Trevor Bayne, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Josh Wise, Mike McDowell and Blake Koch when they were busy whipping his back yard into shape.

Contents • • • • • • • • • Driving career [ ] 1949 [ ] Christian competed in NASCAR's first race on June 19, 1949 at. She qualified 13th in the #71 owned by her husband. During the race, took over her car after his engine expired on the 38th lap.

He drove the car until it overheated, and finished 14th. Christian competed in the second race at the on July 10, 1949, and finished 18th.

The 28 car field also included Flock's sister and, which made it the first race to include three woman drivers. Frank also competed in the race and finished sixth in his only career start. They became the only married couple to compete in a NASCAR race until 1986 when and competed for the first time together in the. Patty and Elton were married in 1990 and continued to compete against one another for years.

Christian finished sixth at the fourth race at, and became the first woman to earn a Top 10 finish. Race winner invited Christian to join him in victory lane. Mobley and Smith again competed against Christian in the race, and it was the last NASCAR race to have three woman drivers until July 4, 1977 when, Christine Beckers and all competed in the Firecracker 400. Christian finished fifth at the ninth race at in.

The finish was the best-ever and only Top 5 finish by a woman in NASCAR series history, though on a regional series level it was eclipsed by at the New Asheville Speedway on June 10, 1988, when she won the Charlotte-Daytona Dash (a 4-cylinder class) AC-Delco 100 to become the first woman to win a NASCAR touring series race. Christian's fifth place remains the highest finish by a woman at the Premiership, now known as the. Christian raced in six of the eight events in the 1949 season, and finished 13th in the final points standings. 1950 [ ] Christian competed in one event in 1950, finishing 14th at the 12th race at the Hamburg Speedway before she retired. Awards [ ] • She received the 1949 United States Drivers Association Woman Driver of the Year award. • She was inducted into the in 2004. Motorsports career results [ ] NASCAR [ ] () ( Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time.

Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.) Grand National Series [ ] results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 NGNC Pts Ref 71 14 23 13th 282 17 18 71 6 12 1 5 71 14 107th 0 References [ ].

By Mark Ellis — Darrell Waltrip in 1979 Before he retired from racing and became a broadcaster, NASCAR driver Darrell Waltrip was one of the winningest drivers in the modern era. For a time, he was also one of the most unpopular drivers – someone people loved to hate. “My passion was racing and quite honestly I went at it all the wrong ways in the early years,” Waltrip told the 2016 National Prayer Breakfast.