Getting to know Travis Gordon, data engineer in the Nos. 5/24 shop

CONCORD, N.C. - After playing four years of basketball, Travis Gordon graduated from UNC Charlotte with a degree in mechanical engineering and began to work full-time at Hendrick Motorsports. Seven years later, he is the data engineer in the Nos. 5/24 shop and the backup gas man on the No. 24 Chevrolet. Meet Travis:

Full name: Travis Roseman Gordon. 

Nickname: Gordo and T-Rav. I’m not really sure where they came from, but they have stuck.

Hometown: Richfield, N.C.

Education: Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, and I am currently in the MBA program at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

Team/job duties: Data engineer in the Nos. 5/24 shop and backup gas man on the No. 24 Drive to End Hunger team.  

Time at current job:  Seven years. 

Years in racing: Seven years. 

First racing job: Typing race engineering notes as an intern at Hendrick Motorsports in 2004. 

First job overall: Land surveying when I was 17. I was responsible for cutting down brush and the survey pole. 

If I wasn’t in racing I would be: Laying on a tropical beach because I would have won the lottery. 

Best racing memory/favorite Hendrick Motorsports win: Meeting my fiancé at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway in August 2010.  

Favorite track: Bristol Motor Speedway.  

Favorite Hendrick Motorsports win: Jeff Gordon earning his 85th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win this year at Atlanta Motor Speedway. 

Hobbies outside of racing: Going for walks with my fiancé and our dog.

Favorite sport other than racing: College basketball. 

When I’m not at the track you can find me: Working in the yard, garage or on my cars. 

On an offweekend you can find me: What’s an off weekend? 

Favorite vacation spot: Cherry Grove, North Myrtle Beach in South Carolina. 

Pet: Oakley, he is a Puggle (a mixed beagle and pug).  

Favorite movie: “Tombstone.”

Favorite book: “Angels and Demons” by Dan Brown.

Favorite TV show: “Southpark.”

Favorite music: Country.

Best concert you’ve ever been to: Kenny Chesney.

Dream car: 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS LS6 454.

What you’ll find on my iPod: Couldn’t tell you because I can’t find it. 

Favorite phone app: Weather.com. I am too lazy to actually wait for weather to come on TV. 

If I could meet anyone, I’d meet: Dean Smith. 

Favorite food: Prime rib.

When I’m training, I always: Sweat. That’s natural, right?

If I ran NASCAR, I’d: Not touching that one with a 10-foot poll. 

One thing people don’t know about me: I was the first person at UNC Charlotte to play varsity basketball for four years and get an engineering degree at the same time. 

Before the race, I always: Pray.

During a pit stop, I’m thinking: Don’t screw up! I knew I wanted a job in NASCAR when: I figured out I could get paid to work on race cars. 

Best part of your job: The people I work with.

How do you plan to spend the offseason? What offseason? Haha, but I will be spending some time finishing our barn with Dad.