NASCAR Xfinity Series

NASCAR fan gets huge Jeff Gordon tattoo in ultimate tribute to late father

Published Apr. 8, 2017 9:22 a.m. ET

Chase Wilhelm

What 29-year-old San Antonio, Texas resident Jesus Apolinar chose to do to honor his late father is a prime example of NASCAR being a family affair.

Apolinar's father, Jesus Sr., was a huge Jeff Gordon fan, sparking his son's interest in the sport that cultivated into a special father-son bond.

Following his father's passing, Apolinar went on to honor him with a massive Jeff Gordon tattoo on his back, featuring a picture of his father and their favorite NASCAR track -- Texas Motor Speedway.

https://twitter.com/Akachato06Jesus/status/842050587986427905

"I got the tattoo because it was my dad's favorite driver and it was a big part of our bonding," Apolinar told FOXSports.com. "We would watch the races together on Sundays. When my dad passed, I knew I wanted to do a big memorial tattoo. What better way than with our favorite driver, Jeff Gordon."

The tattoo was no easy task for Apolinar, taking a total of 12 hours to complete. It was broken up into a pair of sessions -- an initial eight-hour session and then another four hours to finish it up.

TMS track president Eddie Gossage got wind of Apolinar's tribute to his father. As a result, Gossage invited Apolinar to this weekend's Monster Energy Cup and XFINITY Series events.

"It's really special and unbelievable the support that Mr. Eddie Gossage, Mike Zizzo and the folks at Texas Motor Speedway have shown. It's amazing and I'm truly speechless."

On Friday, Gordon met with Apolinar and signed the tattoo on his back and talked with he and his family.

https://twitter.com/JeffGordonWeb/status/850535553720365056

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