“Program seeks to authenticate Gordon goods” by Kevin Anderson. Volume 8, Issue 39, Page 4.

The name Jeff Gordon has almost become synonymous with NASCAR. Jeff Gordon who can be easily recognized driving the #24 Du Pont Chevrolet on most Sundays of the year. He is one of the biggest reasons for the refueled interest in NASCAR for the last decade. I can remember watching Jeff Gordon driving the rainbow colored Chevrolet with his “Rainbow Warriors” manning the pits. Gordon was young, charismatic, and a phenomenal driver. His excitement toward racing captured the attention of many people who would not normally be associated with NASCAR, and a new fan base was born. He was somewhat of a leader in the rebirth of NASCAR and he can once again be seen at the forefront, this time in the area of merchandise authenticity.

Jeff Gordon is scheduled to unveil a new hologram program to authenticate his signature and guarantee authenticity of Gordon goods and merchandise. The hope is that by numbering and tagging merchandise that bears Gordon’s signature they will be able to keep better track of signed materials and thereby guarantee authenticity. These items will then be registered for sell on www.jeffgordon.com so collectors and fans can buy, sell, or trade original Jeff Gordon memorabilia without the fear of counterfeiting.

The FBI reported that more than $100 million of forged memorabilia is sold and purchased each year. This new program is an attempt to put an end to forgery rings and give collectors a piece of mind when supporting their sporting favorites. Other NASCAR drivers have not gone to implementing holograms on their signed products yet, but after this push in the right direction by Jeff Gordon other drivers might pull-in and draft. This could be the start of a new trend in merchandise authentication for athletes in every sporting venue.