Jordon Riddick is a rising star in the world of motorsports, with a strong heritage in the sport and a passion for racing that runs deep. As the grandson of former Salem Speedway owners Don and Yvonne Gettelfinger, Jordon grew up with a love for the sport and a desire to make a name for himself behind the wheel.
Jordon began his racing career at a young age, competing in Senior Champ Karts and quickly progressing to INEX Legend Cars and Crown Vics, where he found early success. He then moved on to the CRA Junior Late Model Division, where he earned two feature wins and was the points runner-up in one season. This early success set the stage for Jordon's entry into the Pro Late Model scene in 2021, where he and his team, JRR, competed at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway and the JEGS/CRA All-Star Tour. Despite being a rookie, Jordon had two Top 10 finishes, was named Rookie of the Year Runner-up, and ended the season in 6th place in points.
In 2022, Jordon and Jordon Riddick Racing team stepped up their game, competing at new venues and higher ranks, including a Top 5 finish in his CRA Super Series debut, a Top 10 finish at Kern County, and a strong showing at the All American 400 where he finished 11th. That same year, Jordon was selected out of 125 applicants to participate in the NASCAR Drive for Diversity program, where he worked with experienced drivers such as Josh Wise, Ryan Blaney, and Kyle Larson to improve his skills and gain valuable experience.
In 2023, Jordon plans to take his racing career to the next level by competing in select CARS Tour Late Model Stock races and returning to his family-owned Pro and Super Late Model team. He also has a strong dedication to education, maintaining a 3.8 GPA and planning to study Mechanical Engineering. With a strong passion for the sport, a dedication to improvement, and a proven track record of success, Jordon Riddick is a driver to watch in the world of motorsports.
Hobbies include: iRacing, fishing, RC cars, basketball and baseball
Whether he was racing four-wheelers on a makeshift track in the family’s backyard or imploring his parents to visit go-kart tracks while on summer vacations, it was apparent that young Jordon Riddick had a passion for racing. Jordon’s mother, Sheri Riddick, said it was evident at an early age that her son had a love for the sport that her family had long been involved with. “No matter where we went on vacation, Jordon, had to go race,” said Sheri, whose parents, Don and Yvonne Gettelfinger owned and operated Salem Speedway for a number of years in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s. “We were always looking for go-kart tracks.” The 14 year-old Jordon, who just completed his freshman year at New Albany High School, where he is an honor student and plays on the Bulldogs basketball team, started racing competitively in 2017.
After a successful two years of racing Senior Champ Karts on the quarter-mile pavement at the Jeffersonville (IN.) Sportsdrome Speedway and the dirt track at the Clark County 4H Fairgrounds, Jordon added the INEX Legend Car Series and the popular Ford Crown Vic divisions to his busy schedule in 2019. In his first season of competition, at just 12 years of age, he won a feature at the Sportsdrome Speedway and finished second in the Senior Champ Kart division season point standings. “It was obvious right from the start that Jordon had talent, skill and a competitive spirit,” said longtime area racer and ARCA team owner Bill Kimmel Jr.
Jordon backed up his impressive rookie season with another runner-up finish in the 2018 Senior Champ Kart division season point standings. The 2019 season brought high expectations for the young racer and Jordon delivered by winning season championships at both the Jeffersonville Sportsdrome Speedway and the Clark County 4-H Fairgrounds in the Senior Champ Kart division. The full size, steel bodied Ford Crown Vic division had Jordon visiting new tracks in 2019, including Brownstown Speedway, Salem’s Thunder Valley Raceway, and the half-mile Roval (road course) at Salem Speedway. One of the highlights of Jordon’s 2019 season was a strong third place finish in the “Extreme Roval 70” on the multi-turn Salem road course in late September. “Jordon, the youngest driver in the field, certainly held his own against some of the best Ford Crown Vic drivers in the Kentuckiana area,” said former Salem Speedway general manager Richard Deaton. With the 2020 racing season currently on hold due to the Coronavirus pandemic, Jordon anxiously awaits an opportunity to get back behind the wheel of a race car. Jordon’s plans for 2020 includes running for Rookie of the Year in his Kimmel Racing prepared Ford in the Victory Custom Trailers CRA Junior Late Models traveling series. The CRA Junior Late Models currently competes in a three-state area – Indiana, Michigan and Ohio. When not racing, the family owned Junior Late Model, Jordon will be competing in select INEX Legend Car Series and Ford Crown Vic races on both dirt and asphalt.