Q&A: Jeff Gordon talks wrecking, collecting and dancing

Jeff Gluck | USA TODAY Sports

USA TODAY Sports' Jeff Gluck will visit with a driver every week for an informal Q&A to gain insights on NASCAR stars' lives on and off the track. Our 12 question series kicks off with four-time champion Jeff Gordon from Daytona Beach, Fla.

Q: Whose driving style is most similar to yours?

A: Maybe Tony Stewart? I feel like he's aggressive when he needs to be and patient when he needs to be, and that's kind of how I am.

Q: I thought you had a reputation for driving a tight race car and he liked to drive a loose race car. Or is that not really considered "style?"

A: See, I don't think of that as "style." When I think of style, I think of how they search around the racetrack, how they think throughout the race and approach the race in certain stages as far as decision-making.

Like Tony, I feel like he drives the car straight. Maybe he likes it a little bit freer, but you don't see it. It's not like Kyle Busch where he's sliding it sideways, smoke rolling. He's keeping that car going straight all the time.

And the thing is, I have (telemetry) data on my teammates, right? If I didn't have data on my teammates, I'd probably say Kasey Kahne. But I know his data and I know the things we do differently. Just as far as the other competitors out there, I'd say Tony is who I compare to the most.

Q: Do you collect any of your own memorabilia ?

A: We do, but we save it for charity auctions — ones we get requests from as well as ones we have ourselves with our foundations. But I rarely ever let helmets go, so I've got quite a collection of helmets and uniforms that are vacuum-sealed in several safes.

Q: So those are the things you get sentimental about?

A: I mean, it's not so much sentimental (now) — it's things I think one day I'll be sentimental about. I think back to some of the uniforms I had when I was really little — we loaned some cool stuff to the Hall of Fame — and those are things that are priceless. They're great reminders of, "Wow, I've been doing this a long time, and I've done some pretty cool stuff." So I think one day there are uniforms and helmets that will be in that same category. ...

Gloves and shoes are kind of hard, because you go through so many of them. But There was a period of time where we collected every prototype of every die-cast, but the warehouse started getting too full of stuff.

Most of the stuff we've accumulated like that, we've tried to utilize it for a good cause.

Q: What percent of racing success is driver, what percent is car and what percent is luck?

A: What I love about this question is if I brought (crew chief) Alan (Gustafson) down here, he's going to say the exact opposite of what I'm going to tell you. I'm going to say it's 80% car, 20% driver — and he's going to tell you it's 80% driver and 20% car.

And I think that's the way it should work. You believe in yourself, but you also know how important that car is. I've driven enough cars to know when I have a car I can't do anything with. It's like, "There's nothing I can do to make this a winning car." And then I've driven cars that were so easy to drive, it was like (everyone else) had no chance. ...

So that's why I'm going to lean toward the car as being way, way more important. When you get to this level, 80 or 90% of the drivers out here are quality drivers who, if they had the right car, would be hard to beat.

Luck? I'm not a big believer in luck. I think preparation, hard work, good race cars and a good race team make your luck.

Q: But what happens if a tire randomly comes off someone's car in front of you, bounces down the track and barely misses you? Isn't that good luck?

A: That's not luck, that's physics. An action happened and it missed you. That's like asking if we're lucky that an asteroid didn't hit us — it is on a set path. Some people would say, 'Well, we got lucky and it didn't hit us.' I would say, 'That was on the path it was on. It's not luck.'

Of course, I say that, but I was challenged by that last year at Darlington when we had back-to-back left rear tires cut down – and there was no tire rub. It was debris. I was saying, 'God, that was some bad luck!' (Laughs) So there are some exceptions, I guess.

Q: What person outside of your family has done the most for your career?

A: It's hard to pick one, because so many people played a significant role. Rick Hendrick, because he owns Hendrick Motorsports and I think Hendrick Motorsports has played such a significant role. But early in my career, there was a guy named Larry Nuber.

I mentioned in the video for Buck Baker at the Hall of Fame, and his wife told the story about me coming to Buck's (driving) school. Larry is the one who reached out and set that up, so he played a significant role.

Bob East, who built Beast Chassis, played a significant role. So did every car owner that I ever had along the way once I stepped out of my dad's car. Like that first guy, Terry Winterbotham. I think of him, he's the first one that hired me outside of my dad and gave me that chance to see if I could go do it away from my parents' equipment. Luckily, we did really well and I think it opened up a lot of eyes.

But if you had to pick just one, it would either be Rick Hendrick or Ray Evernham or Larry Nuber.

Q: You come into contact with a lot of people each weekend at the track – your team, media, fans, sponsors – so how do you decide how to divide up your time?

A: Well, race team is No. 1. Your whole reason to go to the racetrack is to try to win the race, so that has to be your priority. So they're first. Your sponsors come second, because you wouldn't be out there without them – the car isn't going to go around the track.

And I think it's a balance between the fans and media, because they all help the sponsors, which in turn helps the team. You have to balance out the amount of time you dedicate to the fans as well as to the media, because you can't do it without either.

It's different, too, with social media – now we're committing time to social media as well. Which, in turn, is a great thing for the fans. I like the ones where you can kind of do both at one time. I like efficiency. (Laughs)

I was talking to Brad Keselowski about this the other day. He was like, "Wow, I'm just happy to get back to the racetrack because (the champion's commitments) are just so much." And I told him, "Listen, everybody will tell you when they win the first championship that the hardest thing is saying no. There are always great opportunities and everyone wants a piece of you. You're the champion, you feel this responsibility, you want to do these things. But then it overwhelms you."

As soon as you throw something different in there, it changes my expectations and then I can easily start questioning things – and then your mind is in a place where it shouldn't be. Instead, it should be, "OK, here's what I have to do this weekend, today, and we're all set. Let's go knock it out."

(Suddenly, crew chief Alan Gustafson walks in)

Q: Hey, how important is the driver and how important is the car from a percentage standpoint?

Alan Gustafson: Umm…geez, that's a tough one on the spot. I'd go pretty split. I'd probably go 35 % car, 35% driver and 30% team.

Gordon: (Laughs) He threw the team one in there! Good, good. Alright. So basically what you're saying is 65% is the car and team. I said you were going to say it was 20% car, 80% driver.

AG: I like my splits.

JG: I agree. That was good.

Q: Let's say a fan wanted to make a great impression on you. What is the best way for a fan to get you to remember them?

A: Hmm…oh boy. (Thinks for awhile) I mean, the thing is, the people that do the crazy things are sometimes the ones you remember. ... I would say probably saying something about the work we do with our foundation or about my kids or something like that. Gosh, I've heard about everything there is.

There is a guy – and he probably thinks I don't ever remember him – but he is typically the first guy in line for autograph sessions, he has handed me checks for my foundation. ... And then he always asks for an extra autograph, because he feels like, 'Well, I brought you something – you should give me something a little extra.' This one particular guy was first in line last year at the (NASCAR) Preview in Charlotte and then I saw him one or two other times and he was also first in line.

So that kind of effort – staying overnight and really wanting to be the first one – that makes an impression. That tells me this guy is pretty committed. That's beyond just being a collector or wanting an autograph or a picture. ...

I'll admit it's hard for me to forget the people who have tattoos – but I don't want to encourage people to go out and get tattoos to be memorable!

Q: The last guy you wrecked, did you wreck him on purpose?

A: (Breaks into hysterical laughter) That is some horse (poo) right there! Who came up with that question? ...

Q: That was Jeff Burton's question from last year, and I decided to keep it on the list.

A: Well I can promise you he didn't answer that question honestly! (Laughs) Well … yes, I did (he wrecked Clint Bowyer at Phoenix International Raceway last season).

Q: You did? I thought you said you didn't mean to wreck him.

A: No, I never said I didn't mean to wreck him. I didn't mean to send him into the wall and collect Joey Logano and Aric Almirola and all the stuff that happened. I meant to make his life miserable and do things that were going to ruin his race; I can't control what could happen after that, right? My intentions were not right in what I was doing, and it ended up being a wreck. Did I mean to wreck him? I would have preferred to have just spun him out (laughs).

Q: Who is somebody you used to clash with but now you get along with?

A: Matt Kenseth. We had some incidents in the past, but we had a little bonding session in Chicago for the Chase (media day) this past year and we got some things off our chests that were still lingering. I mean, the one thing he and I agree on is that we both have a lot of respect for one another, and we've had incidents happen that pissed both of us off – and we didn't understand it and agree with it, but we've moved past it.

Q: What is the best racing-related movie?

A: Is Senna considered a racing movie? Because Senna (a documentary on Brazilian Formula One driver Ayrton Senna, who won the F1 world championship three times before his death at age 34) is what I would go with.

Q: Good one. What is your song of the moment that you think fans should download?

A: Let me go grab my phone. (Leaves for a minute and comes back, flipping through his iTunes library) My wife and I really like this song…let's see. Here it is! Thrift Shop (by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis).

The problem I have when people ask me about music and songs is they overanalyze it, right? They're like, "Oh, the words and the message are terrible." I just like something that has a good beat and makes me want to dance, you know? Not that I do dance, but it's more just a feel-good thing. And I just love this song. I'm liking this kind of music right now.

(Starts playing Flo Rida's I Cry)

Like that's some Flo Rida there. And you gotta have some Pitbull.

(Starts playing Pitbull's Don't Stop The Party)

That's what I like to listen to. That kind of stuff.

(Starts playing 50 Cent's My Life)

I love 50 Cent in this new song he has as well. It's got Eminem and Adam Levine in it, too. So I don't know how to pick one, but if I had to pick one, I'd say Thrift Shop. That's a cool song. See, people need to understand my Vallejo background!

Q: Define yourself without NASCAR. Basically, who are you if you take all the racing stuff away?

A: I wouldn't know! It's all I've ever done. It's one of those things where as you get older, if you're fortunate enough to have a couple kids like I do and I have the life I've had, then I start thinking about my life and how fortunate I've been and the amazing opportunities I've been given and the people I've met, and I feel so blessed. But my life would be a lot different without racing, so I can't even imagine if you took that aspect out, where it would have gone and how it would have affected me.

It wasn't like racing for me was this little hobby; it's all I thought about, it's all I did from the time I was 6 years old. We have video of some local TV shows doing some things when I was racing Quarter Midgets at 8 or 9 years old, and at that time I was like, "I want to race in the Indy 500 and I want to race Sprint cars with Steve Kinser." That's what I wanted to do.

Now, I didn't necessarily think it was going to happen. But that's what I wanted – and it did.

Q: I'm asking each driver to give me a question for the next interview. At the conclusion of last season, Landon Cassill wanted to know: "If you can hear fans yelling your name, why don't you always stop for autographs?"

A: (Laughs) If it's one person yelling your name and you're not already late for something else, then absolutely. But if it's 50, then that's different. You're calculating in your mind: "OK, can I do 50?" If 50 people want my autograph and I go over there and sign five, I've made 45 people upset. That is not a win-win situation for me.

So if I feel like I can do a good job getting as many of my fans the autographs they want, then I'm going to try to do it. I have a guilty conscience, so if people are calling my name or want autographs, I feel guilty if I don't do it. I've struggled with that over the years, because I want to give them as much as I can of what they're asking for. So I try to find a location that the fans are at, that's convenient to me, that we can do the autographs and say hey to them and give them a good experience.

I always go back to my experience as a kid at Indianapolis getting Rick Mears' autograph. It wasn't like it is around here; it was different. It wasn't like there were 100 people there wanting autographs, it was just a handful. I just happened to be at the right place at the right time and asked the right person – and that memory still stands out to me. So when I walk by and there's a kid over there that has positioned himself right, has waited and has been patient, I think of that moment.

Sometimes, you go by and you don't have the time and then they say things that are bad. And then you go, "Well, I'm glad I didn't stop, because that person isn't really a fan if that's the way they feel about it." But the ones that go, "Oh, please stop! Please stop!" and I say, "As soon as I have time" and they say, "OK, great" and I see them again, I do it.

Q: And finally, do you have a question for the next person?

A: I think this would apply to a lot of different people but I'm not sure how they would answer it: "What are you willing to sacrifice – to give or give up – to win the Daytona 500 or the Brickyard 400 or to be a champion?" Because everyone has to sacrifice something in order to be dedicated to doing it at this level.

Follow Jeff Gluck on Twitter @jeff_gluck