Jeff Gordon came to NASCAR just as the sport was about to move out of its roots in the Southeast and go global. The non-Southerner who smiled and embraced the media, he hosted "Saturday Night Live" and "Live with Regis and Kelly," became the favorite driver of millions of fans, including many new to the sport, and the most hated driver to many traditionalists. He traveled around the world, visited the White House and became a driver who was instantly...