Jeff Gordon quotes:

I think fear is what keeps us from going over the edge. I mean, as a race car driver, I don't think what makes a good race car driver is a fearless person. I think it's somebody that is comfortable being behind the wheel of something that's somewhat out of control.

In California, especially Northern California, the fans really cheer for me.

You've got to be the best person you can be in your life.

You may be leading, then you might be at the back of the pack trying to work your way up. It's just a constant reminder not to give up, and to know that God, in my mind, is really in control.

So much of my life is spent just focused on driving race cars.

I thought long and hard about my future this past year and during the offseason, and I've decided 2015 will be the last time I compete for a championship.

When you've got the Daytona 500 out there at stake and everything riding on the line, guys go for it, and the guys that go for it are the ones that are either going to win or they're going to wreck.

You are going to make choices and decisions that sometimes aren't going to always work in your favor and they are going to upset some other people.

As I get older, my appreciation for wine has just increased. I fell in love with wine through my travels, but knowing what the wine country is all about definitely makes it my own.

I don't like to get beat in anything!

When you're in a race car, you're going through so many different emotions throughout that race.

I think driving in New York is a great experience. A lot more racing techniques go into it than anyplace else I've ever driven. There basically are no lanes.

My image lends itself a little bit more to the modern fan, sometimes more toward the kids, and I guess more toward the wine drinkers... I mean, I have my own wine, and fans love to pull for people they relate to.

Our fans would never waste good beer by pouring it on us,

I want to race as long as I'm having fun, it's competitive and healthy, and who knows when that, you know, date comes when that's not happening anymore.

The business model of racing is not a pretty one.

As fast as we're going these days, especially because of the aerodynamics, we're all concerned about abusing tires. It's so fast that you're afraid of what you're going to do to the tires.

If somebody tells me, 'You have to pass that car right there,' I guarantee you I'm going to step up the aggressiveness to a whole other level and that may mean beating and banging. But until it calls for that moment, I'm not expecting to go out there and just beat and bang for no reason.

I'm just another link in the chain.

I'll do a little prayer here and there if I feel the need to.

In NASCAR, you don't have to be as physically strong as in some other forms of racing. You've just got to be able to endure the heat and endurance of it.

My image lends itself a little bit more to the modern fan, sometimes more toward the kids, and I guess more toward the wine drinkers... I mean, I have my own wine, and fans love to pull for people they relate to."

We have to keep our fans watching not just at home on TV but here at the racetrack too. This is where you sell people on the speed and excitement of racing.

I just feel rejuvenated in such a big way because of these race cars I get to drive.

You know, sometimes guys work with other guys because they're buddies off the track, not necessarily because they're buddies on the track. Sometimes you've got that going against you or for you.

In our business, just getting to 40 means something...that's why I think sometimes you have to just live in the moment. You have to enjoy life to its fullest.

There's no greater feeling than winning a race.

I don't feel I'm a step above anyone on this team. I'm just another link in the chain.

I saw the wreck on TV in the hauler when I was getting dressed to leave. I thought, 'Oh, he'll be fine.' It didn't look like that type of an accident. I remember walking to the bus lot, seeing Teresa walk by. She definitely had a look on her face that I had not seen on her face before.

Because the sport has changed, competition is not only stronger but it's deeper throughout the field than it's ever been. It's harder to win.

Either you focus, or you hit something really hard.

My career in racing started at a very young age in California.

I think perception is important.

No matter what happens, I'll always say that I've had a wonderful life.

I feel like I'm getting to be a better driver every day.

I don't feel like I've really changed. Maybe I have let people see more of me than in the past.

I definitely get pumped up when I hear a crowd cheering for me.

For some reason, no matter what happens in my life, I always seem to have a piece of my heart that says everything is going to be okay.

I got on a plane. I remember when I got on the plane, the talk was, you know, they're checking Dale out, that it's more than what it looked like, but I still didn't think it would be anything more than maybe some injuries. Then I landed at home and my phone just lit up. I started getting those messages. I mean, I was blown away. I couldn't believe it. I was just in shock.

Yeah, I've made some mistakes. Every guy makes mistakes.

I think we have gotten through those brain dead moments on both our parts. Now we just love to race one another hard and clean.

I'm not a robot; I have a personality and I have emotions. I have a humorous side to me and an angry side to me.

Funds raised create hope for kids with cancer. Research is our top priority for discovering a cure.

Racing is not what I like to do; it's winning.

I want to force the other drivers to find a way past me.

I've been racing a long time, and I realize you go through good streaks and bad streaks.

Ever since I've been racing, I've always been the young guy.

Being up front is the only place to be.

I'm not a fighter, trust me. But I am someone who can get angry. I have a temper at times. Sometimes it gets the best of you no matter how you manage it.

There are certain times when you can maybe intimidate certain people to force them to make a mistake. There are other people you know that you've got to make a clean pass. I try to make clean passes. That's something that I've been doing since I was 7 years old and that's the way I like to do it. It doesn't mean I always do it that way, but that's the way I prefer to do it.

You're still going to see accidents, you always will. Especially towards the closing laps of a race.