“It Was Richard Petty’s Last…” Jeff Gordon Recalls His First Race in NASCAR That Ended Tragically

Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon, and Jimmie Johnson—these drivers make up the bulk of NASCAR Cup Series history. There hasn’t been a driver who has come close to their domination; it’s unlikely there will ever be.

Jimmy Fallon, on The Tonight Show, struck up an interesting conversation with Gordon. Gordon was attending the show as NASCAR celebrates its 75th year anniversary in 2023.  A curious Fallon asked, “Do you remember your first race?” Gordon instantly had a smile on his face: “Absolutely.” 

The 4-time Cup Series winner then began to walk down that memory lane. “Because… one it was memorable because I backed into the wall about lap 50 [laughs]. But it was Richard Petty’s final race. How many people can say that they got to race against The King?”

Gordon had made his debut in the final race of the 1992 Cup season at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The 1992 Hooters 500, as it was called, is widely referred to as the greatest Cup Series race of all time.

Why? It had three different narratives floating around—some having great significance at that time, some that would become more significant with time. For starters, it was Petty’s final race of a trophy-laden career. But also because 6 drivers were fighting for the title.

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And of course, Gordon’s debut. It might not have been as significant at the time, but it ended up being a moment in history.

How did Jeff Gordon try to fit in?

The Hooters 500 at Atlanta ended up being one of the most important races in NASCAR history. But for a young Gordon, it was a thoroughly intimidating experience.

Making his debut in the backdrop of Petty’s retirement and a thrillingly competitive title race—the stakes were high. He told Fallon how, as a naïve young driver, he tried to fit in with the big boys.

“Yeah, well, I started racing at a very young age. I think I was growing a mustache at 12 years old for the first time and I was racing against all these older guys. I wanted to fit in and look older. Didn’t work, but I tried.”

“But you have to understand—Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, Dale Jarrett. I mean, all the greats had mustaches so I thought I needed one. Luckily it didn’t last longer than a year.”

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For a young Gordon, a mustache was the way to fit in. But later on, he didn’t need that; his driving was enough.