Motorsports

Tough and determined, Tina Gordon moving up ranks

By GREG AUMAN, DAWN REISS
Published July 4, 2004

DAYTONA BEACH - Growing up, Tina Gordon chased the boys and pelted them with pine cones. "I did beat up the boys, all of them," said Gordon, who grew up in Cedar Bluff, Ala. "I don't know if you'd say I was a tomboy, but yeah, I was a little rough. But I liked doing the girly stuff, too. I guess I was a tough girl.

"Right after I got married, my husband, Gary, ran into a guy who told him I used to whip him with these pine cones and they tore the whole side of his face up."

Little has changed. Gordon is still a tough girl chasing the boys around, except there aren't any pine cones to throw, just her purple Ford No. 39 race car. While Gordon, 35, doesn't want to make a fuss, she is turning heads. It began in 2001, when she qualified fifth at 182.947 mph in a Ford Thunderbird at the Food World 300ARCA/Remax series.

Gordon is the only woman to lead in points among Trucks rookies, the only woman to race in the Trucks series at Lowe's Motor Speedway and the only woman racing full time in one of NASCAR's top three series.

After racing half a season in Trucks, Gordon now is the only full-time Jay Robinson Busch driver, a long way from her "powder puff" short-track beginning.

RUN FOR A GOOD CAUSE: Michael Waltrip was in Las Vegas testing his No. 99 Chevrolet when he saw Kyle Petty , who had just completed his first half-marathon in January. That's when Waltrip decided to combine his love for running and charitable nature by running a marathon for the next five years to raise $1-million each year for Petty's Victory Junction Gang Camp that helps chronically ill children.

"I didn't even know they had the race," Waltrip said. "Because Kyle was my inspiration for doing it, I thought it was only natural that we try to do something special for the camp."

Waltrip, who has run three marathons, will start his pledge by running at the 39th annual Las Vegas Marathon Jan. 30. Aaron's, which helps sponsor Waltrip, will donate $9,999.99 each time Waltrip finishes in the top 10 in any race for the rest of the season. Ten dollars from every Las Vegas marathon runner's entry fee also will be donated to the camp.

FANS STRUCK BY LIGHTNING: Three fans, one each from Jacksonville, New Jersey and Vermont, were struck by lightning but not seriously injured near a merchandise stand. The fans, all conscious after being struck, were observed and released at a care center outside the track.

MILESTONE: Saturday's race was the 500th with Winston and Nextel Cup for David Hoots, the circuit's managing events director and NASCAR's eye of authority during races, watching from the tower. During the drivers' meeting, which Hoots presides over, he was presented with a helmet autographed by all the Nextel Cup drivers.

SOLDIER'S SONG: American Idol star Josh Gracin, a U.S. Marine, sang the national anthem. Gracin, 23, said it was easily the largest crowd for which he's performed.

[Last modified July 4, 2004, 01:00:39]