"I didn't know who I was": Jeff Gordon recalls finding himself amid NASCAR legends Dale Earnhardt, Mark Martin, and Rusty Wallace

Jeff Gordon joined the NASCAR Cup Series when the championship had the heavyweights of Dale Earnhardt, Mark Martin, Rusty Wallace, and many more. While the Vallejo-born driver excelled in such a highly competitive field, but admits he didn't know where he phased out among such revered names in the early part of his career.

Gordon made his Cup Series debut in 1992 with Hendrick Motorsports and soon achieved his first race victory in a competition-packed field, which set the precedent for the upcoming years. While he was beating out his rivals in the championship setting on the racing track, the 54-year-old was also gaining fame by making special appearances on various shows.

This had helped NASCAR gain publicity among the masses, an idea that Earnhardt, Martin, and Wallace were usually reserved for, as Gordon had appeared to be the first one to proactively take up such measures. So, when asked by Kyle Petty about how the whole thing panned out among such greats, the four-time champion shared his candid take (via Circle Country):

"I didn't know who I was at that at that time, right? And I'm too young to really figure out exactly who I was. Heck, I'm still trying to figure it out. But TV is a part of this. If an opportunity came along and it seemed like a cool opportunity, even though I was scared to death to do it, if it was the Tonight Show or Letterman, or if it was being on a sitcom."

"Few things started trickling where now all of a sudden I'm the pretty boy. I'm not the good old southern boy with the cowboy boots and from California and driving a rainbow color car and all that stuff."

Meanwhile, Jeff Gordon's outward approach helped shape NASCAR's perception and helped the sport become mainstream. This was coupled with his impressive championship victories and battles for the title, which went on till his final year as a full-time driver in the Cup Series.

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Where is Jeff Gordon's future heading in NASCAR?

Hendrick Motorsports Vice Chairman Jeff Gordon at the Jack Link's 500 qualifying at Talladega Superspeedway. - Source: Imagn

Jeff Gordon retired from full-time racing after the conclusion of the 2015 Cup Series season. Though he wanted to hang up his helmet as his time to bid adieu to the sport as a driver was here, the 54-year-old still wanted to remain connected to the stock car racing realm in a different manner, leading him to pick up an analyst role in 2016, which went on till 2021.

He was then appointed as the vice-chairman of the HM outfit as he guides the racing stable in its racing efforts. While he has been actively working with the team, Gordon still has a lot to do in the series, as he revealed to Kyle Petty:

"I think where the sport's headed. I think that's where my focus is primarily at, is what's what's next for NASCAR, packed grandstands, being rock stars when they leave the racetrack, and I want to see it get back to that. So, whatever I can contribute to that part of it. That's what my main focus on right now."

Meanwhile, Jeff Gordon remains as one of the most influential figures in the racing field as his continued efforts to make NASCAR a better racing ground are still going on.