NASCAR will be completing 75 years in 2023. The sport has seen a lot of great drivers in its history, but those with brilliance and ability like that of Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt have been few. That’s what made their ferocious rivalry so special.

Gordon spoke about it on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Fallon said, “I have a photo of you from 1992, Atlanta Motor Speedway. You gotta look at the mustache.” He took out an old photo of Gordon sporting a mustache amidst huge cheers from the crowd.

Gordon smiled, and commented, “If you wanted to be a NASCAR driver in the 90s, that’s the way you had to look.” The host then added, “But I heard there’s a little strategy to this mustache.”

“Yeah, well, I started racing at a very young age. I think I was growing a mustache at 12 years old for the first time and I was racing against all these older guys. I wanted to fit in and look older. Didn’t work, but I tried,” Gordon told an amused Fallon.

“But you have to understand—Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, Dale Jarrett. I mean, all the greats had mustaches so I thought I needed one. Luckily it didn’t last longer than a year.”

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As history tells us, Gordon didn’t need that mustache to beat the best and become one of them.

Jeff Gordon v. Dale Earnhardt – a rivalry for the ages

Gordon and Dale Sr were two of the greatest drivers NASCAR ever saw, hands down. That competition brought the two face-to-face on a lot of occasions, but at the same time, they had immense respect for each other.

In an interview, Gordon admitted knowing how tough it was to be a fan at that time. He said, “If you’re an Earnhardt fan, you can’t pull for Gordon. If you’re a Gordon fan, you cannot pull for Earnhardt.”

“When his passing happened, it’s amazing how many of his fans said, “Listen I’ve never pulled for you before, we missed out, and I know you respected him and for the first time I’m able to be an Earnhardt fan and pull for you.”

But the rivalry holds a special place in his heart. He knows how Dale Sr always kept him on his toes and helped him become the driver he wanted to become. Gordon immensely respects him.

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It was a rivalry not too many can even imagine emulating today. The two drivers combined for 11 Cup Series titles—Madness!