Before there was Cars, before Rush, before Formula 1 became global entertainment, there was the childhood dream: posters on the wall, die-cast cars, movie chases, and the fantasy that speed could become a life.
For NASCAR legend Jeff Gordon, racing arrived early. By five, it was already in his blood. Yet cinema still left its mark: the sliding Trans Am of Smokey and the Bandit, the exotic shock of seeing a Lamborghini in The Cannonball Run, and later the unexpected honor of becoming part of Pixar’s Cars universe as Jeff Corvette.
That intersection of film, speed, and cultural mythology lies at the heart of RIDE: The Most Iconic Wheels of the Silver Screen, a cinematic exploration of some of the most unforgettable vehicles ever to appear on screen, featuring essays, interviews, and film analysis.
In this conversation with architect and RIDE co-author Chad Oppenheim, Gordon reflects on the cars that shaped him, the films that captured racing best (and worst), stunt driving, Formula 1, Tom Cruise, Paul Newman, and why Lightning McQueen may have had more in common with him than anyone realized.
Chad Oppenheim: Growing up in California, you must have been surrounded by nice cars. What was your favorite one growing up?
Jeff Gordon: That’s pretty easy, actually. When I was around 14, an older friend of ours had a ’67 or ‘69 Camaro. And it was just the most beautiful candy-apple red, almost like a deep, dark cherry kind of red. The thing just sounded so good. I’d never been in a muscle car that got me really excited before that, so I’ve always loved that car.
CO: Did you ever buy one?
JG: No. I don’t know why I didn’t. I’ve owned plenty of Camaros, but the more modern ones. When I was driving, I really wasn’t interested in collecting cars or anything like that. But since I’ve retired, I’ve been going to the Barrett-Jackson auctions. The reason I was never that interested in collecting was because I want to drive any car that I have. Letting them just sit there, it’s not fun for me. I like modern technology. I like everything to be nice and tight with the steering and suspension. And that’s just not the older cars. But now I know about Resto Mods. That’s my thing now.
CO: What do you have in that department?
JG: I have a Porsche. It’s a remake of a 1973 RSR. I kind of had that one done for my wife. It’s not superfast, but it drives really good. I was at Nurburgring a couple weeks ago with General Motors, and I saw the Singer Turbo Study, which they were over there testing. I would certainly love to have one of them one day.
CO: When you were a kid, did you collect Matchbox cars?
JG: You know, racing was in my blood so early. I got introduced to racing when I was five. So anything that I collected was racing related, whether it was pictures of sprint cars or Indy cars from magazines. Matchbox didn’t have a lot of those. But anything that looked like an Indy car or Formula 1 car would have been something that I had.
CO: Was there a movie you watched as a kid where the car captured your imagination and fueled your desire to become race car driver?
JG: Again, I was racing so young. But there were two movies that I remember really standing out to me because I thought the cars were cool. The first one was Smokey and the Bandit. It’s not that that Trans Am was that great. It’s just I loved watching the way he slid that thing around as he ran from the cops. It made me like that car. And then The Cannonball Run. That was the first time that I saw a Lamborghini and it was just so exotic looking and fast. That was the first Supercar where I was, like, that’s the most amazing car. If I ever make it big, I’m gonna own one of those! And as I got older, I was like, No, I don’t need that car.
CO: Do you think that CGI has helped or hurt the art of stunt driving in movies?
JG: There was a Sylvester Stallone movie that was about IndyCar [2001’s Driven], and it was probably the worst racing movie that’s ever been made. I just remember the CGI was so bad. The crashes were so unrealistic. And I just thought to myself, this is taking moviemaking backwards. Luckily, it’s gotten a lot better since then.
CO: Have you ever seen an onscreen crash that disturbed you because they ruined a great car doing it?
JG: Not really. The thing that sticks out for me is when you see a car barrel-rolling through the air. I’m like, Okay, I know that they put a post in the bottom of the car that shoots the car over on its side. Whenever I see that, it just doesn’t look real. That doesn’t happen in real life. So that bothers me sometimes. I took my son over to England and we visited Tom Cruise on the set of the next Mission: Impossible. It’s incredible how far along they’ve come. When I watch chase scenes in movies I start wondering about who’s driving the car and what they’re going through. Some of these stunt drivers really take some nasty hits. As a race car driver, I knew I was going to crash, but that was never the goal.
CO: Did you ever get a chance to meet Paul Newman and talk racing with him?
JG: He was my mom’s favorite actor as a kid. I went to an IndyCar race when I was a kid, and I went up to introduce myself and asked for an autograph. And he’s like, I’m sorry, son, I don’t do autographs. I was devastated.
CO: Which movie most accurately depicts what it’s like to be a race car driver?
JG: I feel like Rush was done really, really well. Grand Prix was a cool movie. But I’m the worst critic, especially when it comes to racing movies, because I’m going to be the one who goes: That’s not the same racetrack they were just on. Or it looks like the car is on a trailer. I almost can’t enjoy a racing movie. That’s why the one I like the most, because it’s meant to be funny, is Talladega Nights.
CO: Do you enjoy Formula 1?
JG: I do, but I’m more into qualifying day. I find it more interesting. You can really see the cars and the drivers putting everything out there.
CO: Have you driven F1 cars?
JG: Yes, and it was absolutely insane. I swapped cars with Juan Pablo Montoya—he drove my car and I drove his at the road course at Indianapolis that runs through the infield. It blows your mind that it’s capable of doing what it does—how much grip it has through high-speed or even mid-speed corners, the braking capabilities. It’s almost like a fighter jet. They’d always wanted an American driver in F1, but my career was going so well in NASCAR. The amount of time it would take to get me in shape, learn the tracks, extract the most out of the cars, and compete at the highest level. I was light years behind all the other drivers.
CO: How accurately did Pixar’s Cars portray NASCAR?
JG: To me, it’s the best movie that there’s ever been that included NASCAR. They put so much research into each character. I was super-bummed I wasn’t in the first one. So I called [Pixar’s] John Lasseter and said, If there’s ever a chance to be in future Cars movies, I would love to be a part of it. So he created the character, Jeff Corvette, for the second one. There’s chatter that Lightning McQueen is partially based on you… He never said that to me, but I like it. Anytime I’m around a group of kids, they’ll say, You can’t compete with Lightning McQueen! That movie’s had a huge impact on bringing young fans to the sport.
CO: What’s your favorite car that you’ve owned off the track?
JG: There’s one car that when I got it I thought to myself, Okay, I’ve finally made it. It’s a Ferrari F355 Spider. It’s so beautiful and it’s still in mint condition, I’ve hardly put any miles on it, but I just remember walking into a dealership. It was a big decision.
CO: What’s your daily driver?
JG: These days, a Chevy Tahoe.
Explore more conversations from RIDE: The Most Iconic Wheels of the Silver Screen.
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