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Rating: Country: U.S.A. Release Date: July 10, 2007 Distributor: Lionsgate Related Sites: · Official Site - Jeff Gordon · Official Site - DuPont Motorsports · Official Site - NASCAR Grade: B

By the age of 30, Gordon had already captured four Winston Cup (now Nextel Cup, soon-to-be Sprint Cup... oh, let's just not go there, OK?) championships, and is making a "drive for five" by spending most of this year's season leading in total points. His career has marked a turning point in NASCAR history, as the California-born, Indiana-raised "outsider" deigned to succeed in this predominantly Southern sport. His achievements at such a young age rankled many, and his apparent rivalry with legendary Dale Earnhardt sets opinions of Gordon at polar opposites. (When #24 comes up in conversation with a die-hard Earnhardt fan I know, he's consistently referred to as "the bed-wetter".)

This was the litmus test I brought to the viewing of 24x24: Wide Open With Jeff Gordon -- will he discuss the rivalry? If not, I would consider this product nothing more than a vanity project for NASCAR, Pepsi, Dupont, Nicorette, and every other corporation wishing to align itself with greatness. Well, the topic was brought up by actor Patrick Dempsey, who sits down one-on-one with Gordon to ask him questions throughout the feature. Gordon was quite diplomatic about it, conceding that past events were the result of two aggressive drivers equally on-fire to win every race.

Of course, in today's racing climate of "if-you-so-much-as-brush-my-quarter-panel-you're-disrespecting-me", his driving style is still occasionally contentious... oh, I don't know, like spinning out my boy Matt Kenseth in the final laps at Chicagoland last year. Something like that. Not that I would hold a grudge, or accuse him of soiling his sheets.

That's the kind of strong emotions he can evoke, but in 24x24: Wide Open With Jeff Gordon you won't see any of several available scenes of Gordon's car getting pelted with bottles and garbage as he takes his victory lap. It really focuses on what happens after the checkered flag drops and all the rinky-dink machinations varied activities a driver has to attend to just so he get back in the car and participate in the sport he loves.

Gordon sits in on a meeting with sponsors to discuss brand association. As he traverses the shop, we get a feel for what a business it is, and the number of employees and their families that depend on your achievements as a driver. Gordon discusses the characteristics he looks for in gathering a successful team together. He also shares a few insights on how his dealing with celebrity has evolved. His involvement in charity work is noted as another cog in his financial machine. We eavesdrop on interactions with his wife, model Ingrid Vandebosch, and sense his excitement as he announces he's "going to be a daddy soon."

He seems to like the water, and he goes fishing for marlin with his buddies, then later on goes cage diving with sharks with a boat guide that likes to spout lines from "Jaws". "Do you quote 'Talladega Nights'?" the boat guide asks Gordon. Instead of answering directly, he replies, "'Days of Thunder', maybe." Interspersed throughout are comments by team owner Rick Hendrick, teammate and reigning Nextel Cup Champion Jimmie Johnson, personalities Jay Leno and Kelly Ripa, and sports figures who have achieved equal success in their own game like Troy Aikman, Charles Barkley, Wayne Gretzky, Tony Hawk, and Pat Riley.

24x24 Wide Open with Jeff Gordon delivers on its promise to show a side of the famous driver that fans rarely see. It makes him a more complete person, and one comes to appreciate the enthusiasm expressed for race day when you see all the boring functions they have to appear at. It was interesting how up-to-date it was, with mention of the impending birth of his daughter, to noting his recent surpassing of Earnhardt's number of victories to settle into sixth place in all-time wins. For previously only scoring cameo appearances in "Herbie: Fully Loaded" and "Looney Tunes: Back in Action", Gordon seemed like a natural in front of the camera, even with the rather intrusive nature of the recording. And, though it may be a case of judicious editing, I was shocked to observe that he doesn't use the adjective "awesome" in conversation nearly as much as he does when in front of a microphone.

This DVD release touts an additional 30 minutes of never-before-seen footage in its 81 minute running time. The shorter version was broadcast on July 7th before and after the Pepsi 400 at Daytona on TNT. Not having seen this truncated edition, I can't say what the extra stuff is. It all seemed to run seamlessly together. It is presented in 16x9 Widescreen with 2.0 Dolby Audio. While it's not subtitled, closed-captioning is available.

Special Features

Deleted Scenes - Three of them -- only mildly interesting to even die-hard race fans -- that definitely would have dragged down the pace of the film. Titled "Dupont Pre-Race," "Pepsi Meet & Greet," and "Nicorette Day at the Race," these total 10 minutes and 45 seconds.

Behind the Scenes - Four-and-a-half minutes of outtakes