There’s nothing Johnny Mazza likes more than making things go fast. Whether it’s his electric scooter or just the family vacuum cleaner, he wants to make it go faster.

So imagine his delight when NASCAR superstar Jeff Gordon made him his crew chief for the day. Johnny, 11, had a lung transplant when he was just 10 months old. He still goes through treatments to stay healthy, and he has to make regular visits to doctors. Gordon granted Johnny’s wish through the Make-A-Wish Foundation®.

Through his Jeff Gordon Foundation, the four-time NASCAR champion has granted the wishes of nearly 200 wish kids. He creates incredible experiences complete with personal visits and souvenirs such as a team hat, an official “I met Jeff Gordon” T-shirt designed specially for each wish kid and a commemorative gold coin.

Johnny’s experience started with Gordon leading him on a tour of the Hendrick Motorsports Garage in Charlotte, N.C. There, he saw Gordon’s #24 car. Gordon astounded Johnny by firing up the car’s engine. He also slid Johnny into the driver’s seat.

“It’s not the softest, most comfortable ride in the world, is it?” Gordon asked Johnny. “All for speed, as long as it goes fast!”

Two days later, Johnny then got to watch his first-ever live NASCAR event as Gordon took the track during the Coca-Cola 600.

According to David Williams, president and chief executive officer of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America, Gordon was a perfect choice for the “My Wish” series. He’s a prolific wish granter who also donates generously each year.

“Jeff Gordon spends virtually every weekend granting a wish,” Williams told reporters. “He’s amazing.”

ESPN’s SportsCenter chose Johnny’s amazing wish to be featured as part of its highly popular “My Wish” series in July 2006. The series, sponsored by Disney, chronicled the stories of 10 wish kids as they were granted their sports-related wishes by some of the sports world’s biggest names.

For four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon, victory lane is the place where hard work, determination and experience have combined for an amazing number of wins. Off the track, Jeff seeks to help children and their families gain their own victories over chronic and often debilitating illnesses through the work of The Jeff Gordon Foundation.

The Foundation established in 1999 primarily provides support for their designated charities, The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society®, The Make-A-Wish Foundation®, Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis, Indiana, The Marrow Foundation® (which includes the Hendrick Marrow Program), and Jeff Gordon Children's Hospital at NorthEast Medical Center in Concord, N.C. The Foundation also offers support to other charitable organizations through the Foundation’s Grant Program.

By Justin Schmid