Conversation: Jeff Gordon

DOVER, Del. -- These days, it seems you see Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jimmie Johnson everywhere.

And that's just the way Jeff Gordon likes it. Sure, at one point in his career, Gordon wanted his name out there, wanted to be a celebrity. But now, Gordon prefers to fly under the radar, to sneak up on people.

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How is that possible? It's probably not terribly realistic, since Gordon is a four-time champion and still The Man in the eyes of countless fans. He still makes plenty of appearances, like guest-hosting "Live with Regis and Kelly" last week.

Gordon, though, would rather make noise on the race track. He's still a threat, having won once this season and standing third in the Winston Cup points standings.

NASCAR.com dispatched Lee Montgomery to sit down with Gordon to talk about life, about being a celebrity ... and a little bit of racing.

I saw where you got a haircut recently, but it wasn't exactly Floyd's Barber Shop.

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Jeff Gordon: "Maybe it was, I don't know. It's a lot shorter. I got my hair cut right before the Saturday Night Live show that I did in January. Shoot, I have been wanting something different for a while. I had somebody who talked me into it or gave me a little push and a shove and went to somebody that's really great in New York City. They weren't afraid to cut it all off, either. It's a lot easier, that's for sure. I just wake up and kind of mess it up and walk about the door. It's nice."

I was going to ask you a little bit about the team's "struggles," but then I looked, and you guys are third in points. Is Jeff Gordon sneaking up on people these days?

"Absolutely. Over the years, you get smarter and smarter about how you go about things. I don't think that we're as flashy or as much about show as we are about points and about the results. Even though we've only won one race this year, we've been very consistent, we've run strong, we've led a lot of laps.

A lot of times, what happens is, people go, 'What have you done lately?' We had a great run going at Charlotte to get a top-five or possibly a win, and we had a little bit of a problem getting a spring rubber out on the last pit stop. There's been some great performances this year, but it's like, 'What have you done recently?' And we probably haven't performed in the last four or five races as well as we would have like to. That's probably why people are kind of shocked that we're third in points."

Everybody's dying to know one thing about Jeff Gordon: What is Jimmie Johnson really like?

"What is Jimmie Johnson really like? Jimmie's pretty much what you see. He's just a genuine, nice guy -- and a heck of a race car driver."

	Credit: Autostock

Does it get under your skin at all -- you're a four-time champion, won all these races -- that Jimmie and Junior and some other guys are getting more attention than you these days, or do you not even care?

"I really don't care. I've got a great fan base, and I'm very proud of that. To me, it's results. It's all about winning and winning championships. That's what matters most to me. I've been through the stage of wanting to be popular and wanting to be in the limelight and be the celebrity and all that stuff. I believe that you do everything on the race track, and that stuff follows. I'm well-recognized in our sport because of the four championships and the wins we've had, and that's what matters most to me."

Tony Stewart said a while back that he'd rather not be in a rivalry with other drivers, especially ones that are kind of created by the media. Some people said that you and Junior would be a natural thing. What's your take on that?

"I feel the same way. We certainly don't create it. Most of the guys get along well, and we get along on and off the race track. But we're competitive. There's nothing with having fierce competitors out there. But I don't look at it as a rivalry. Other people try to make it a rivalry. They do that to keep the excitement in the sport or give it a little flair or something. You certainly can't complain about that, things that spice up the sport and keep it fun and exciting. You kind of want it to be someone else, other than yourself."

One thing I've noticed about you, being around you a little bit the past two or three years is that you're so even-keeled with the media. You never upset, you're never mad. How do you maintain that? Drivers are notorious for being a little bit moody. How are you able to do that?

"You just haven't seen me on my good and bad days, I guess.

"No, I am pretty even-keel. It's just my personality. I don't know. I guess I get it from my mom and my dad. I am the type of person that I really like to learn from my mistakes and try not to make the same ones twice. I've let my emotions get the best of me, whether when it was when I was a kid and had a really bad temper or later in life when I said or did something that I wish I hadn't.

"And I kind of do like to stay under the radar. I do want to do everything on the race track and let those actions speak for me, instead of me doing it off the race track. You see either things that you've done or you see things that other people have done, and you laugh at and say, 'I sure am glad I haven't done that,' or, 'Boy, make sure I don't ever do that.' That's how I try to go about it."

So when you were a kid, you had a pretty mean temper.

	Credit: Autostock

"Oh, yeah, go ask my mom. She'll tell you. I had a mean temper and let my emotions get the best of me several times. I guess I learned from those things. And I think I'm very fortunate, because I think in this sport, it pays to be less emotional. If you allow things to get to you, you're going to make mistakes, and you're going to take your focus off your driving. That can really hurt you, especially over a long season."

I read somewhere recently where you said you were happy that you don't have to perfect or something like that. We've talked a little bit about under being the radar. Do you feel like you've loosened up, so to speak, or are you more laid back than the past two or three years?

"Absolutely. I used to let every little thing bother me, whether it was something written in the media or a rumor or whatever it could be. It could be anything, but I used to let it bother me because I felt like I was working so hard at trying to be so perfect out there in the media and with my fans and all that stuff. And yet, the whole time, I really wasn't and knew I couldn't I think I've recognized that, 'Don't try to expect things. Don't try to go out there and expect to be perfect and expect others to think that you're perfect,' because you can't live up to that, no matter what. As you hard as you try, you're never going to live up to that.

"I'm not really a different person today. I'm just a little more easy-going, and I'm not expecting to be perfect or anybody to think I am. If I make a mistake, I make a mistake. If things aren't great, then, hey, that's life. It's a much easier way to get through life this way. You can't live with that kind of a stress level all the time."

Not like your hair is going to turn gray anytime soon.

"It is."

With the new haircut, are we going to see the goatee any time soon again?

"I don't know, maybe. I was thinking about that this morning when I was shaving. I don't like to shave. When you don't see me at the track, I am unshaven, whether I'm on vacation or just during the week if I'm not doing something -- you still have to be responsible to a certain extent for the sponsors and things, where it's a good thing to be cleaned up, so I try to stay cleaned up as often as I can. But I like to let my hair down, or not shave, or wear a hat or a T-shirt when I can, too.

So if you had your druthers, you'd have the ZZ Top beard?

"No."

Or the Rickye Funck mullet?

"No, I don't mind a little shag, but, no, I'm not going to let it grow down to my knees."

Back to racing a little bit. Earnhardt, before he died, really wanted the eighth title, I think it some ways to separate himself from Richard Petty and all the other drivers. You're at four, you're closest to them. Does matching them, beating them drive you at all? Seven titles, eight titles. What does drive you?

"I want to be between four and six because nobody has that. There are two guys that have seven there's guys that have three. I figure I'll stand out if I'm at four, five or six. I'm going to stay in those categories and be in my own statistic range.

"Nah, you always have to strive for the best and the most. That's what makes us competitors. We work too hard to not want that. I'm at four, going for five, and that's all that's on my mind right now. I don't really have this huge number set out there, where if I don't reach it, it's going to be a disappointment."

I don't think anybody would call your career a disappointment at this point. In that regard, you're regarded as one of the best four, five, six drivers ever. Is that how you want to be remembered? Or how do you want to be remembered when it's all finally over.

"You know, I've always said that I've achieved so much more than I ever expected. I've gotten more accolades than I ever expected. To even be considered one of the top five or six would be amazing. It's just one of those situations where if you didn't set your sight on, 'Oh, I am the best, I'm going to be the best,' then anything else is icing on the cake. That's the way I am. I'm somebody that while I'm at it, I want to win, I want to win, I want to win. That's all that really matters to me. It's not how I'm recognized and how I'm remembered, it's getting those trophies and experiencing what it's like to pull into victory lane and winning championships.

"However I'm remembered doesn't necessarily matter because I'm proud and I'm happy and content with everything. To be recognized as anything in the top echelon of our sport is beautiful."