The drive of Jeff Gordon's life
Fatherhood energizes Jeff Gordon's latest title chase
By his own admission, Jeff Gordon has led a charmed life. As he approaches his 36th birthday next week, the four-time NASCAR champion has won more races, banked more money, earned more respect and achieved more fame than he ever dreamed possible while growing up in Pittsboro, Ind.
But all of that was just a prelude to June 20, the day he found out what true happiness is all about. At 9:09 a.m. in a New York hospital, Jeff Gordon and his supermodel wife, Ingrid Vandebosch, became parents for the first time.
Jeff Gordon hasn't stopped smiling since, even as NASCAR docked him 100 points and suspended crew chief Steve Letarte for six races for a rules violation. Because now, whatever happens at the racetrack, Jeff Gordon has a tiny bundle of joy named Ella Sofia to go home to.
"You just don't get it until you go through it yourself. There's nothing like it in the world," Jeff Gordon said of fatherhood. "The day she was born, there were so many emotions -- you go from scared to death hoping the baby is healthy, then you can't believe she's finally here, then you hear her cry for the first time, and you see she has all her fingers and all her toes. It's just incredible."
And just like that, a messy divorce in 2003, five seasons without a championship and a couple of long stretches between wins became ancient history. Jeff Gordon is back on top of the world -- and as a nice bonus, he arrives at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for Sunday's Allstate 400 at the Brickyard also on top of the Nextel Cup standings.
"At this stage of my life, life couldn't be any better," the four-time Brickyard winner said. "I have a wife who understands me and we have a great relationship. I have probably the best relationship with my mom and dad since I was a kid. And now with the baby, with the way things are going at the racetrack, with business, I'd be crazy not to be enjoying life."
NASCAR president Mike Helton has seen Jeff Gordon grow from a fuzzy-cheeked rookie in 1993, when he was dubbed "Wonderboy" by the late Dale Earnhardt, to a shrewd veteran acknowledged by his peers as the face and voice of the sport.
Helton described Jeff Gordon as being at an "envious level of confidence" and at the very top of his game.
"He's happy with himself, with his family, with his career, with his opportunities," Helton said. "It's nice to see him have all that. He's earned it."
Victory machine
With four wins this season, tied with Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson for the series lead, Jeff Gordon has boosted his career total to 79 and passed Earnhardt for sixth place on the all-time list. By this time next year, he could be up to third.
Although his commanding lead in the standings, which sits at 303 points over runner-up Denny Hamlin entering the Brickyard, will be erased when the 12-man Chase for the Nextel Cup begins in September, Jeff Gordon is on pace for a fifth championship. That would put him within two of the record shared by Earnhardt and Richard Petty.
But still to be determined is what effect his growing family will have on his pursuit of those lofty numbers. One day, Jeff Gordon says he plans to stick around long enough for his kid(s) to understand what their dad did for a living. The next, he's not so sure.
"Right now, it's just making me more motivated at the racetrack and more excited to go home from the racetrack," he said. "I know not every year is going to be like this one. At this stage of my career, I've got less of these type years left in me and less willingness to go through the really tough years.
"I'm not saying that one bad year and I'm gone. But if we're not competitive, especially if it's due to me, I'll be the first one to tell Rick (Hendrick) to get somebody in here who can get the job done."
Best of times
Johnson, one of Jeff Gordon's closest friends and fiercest rivals, arrived at Hendrick Motorsports about the time Jeff Gordon's first marriage was falling apart. At that time, Johnson said, Jeff Gordon climbed into a race car to escape his real life. Now, his contentment follows him to work.
"When Jeff Gordon was going through his divorce, he was still winning races," Johnson said. "I only see this making him better. As far as retirement, it's not like he needs to race for monetary reasons, but I think he's having too much fun to think about quitting."
Certainly Dale Earnhardt Jr. doesn't want to hear anything about Jeff Gordon moving on. As he prepares to join Hendrick Motorsports next season, Earnhardt is looking forward to having Jeff Gordon as a teammate and competing against him in equal equipment.
"Jeff Gordon is one of the best that's ever been in our sport," Earnhardt said. "He's fun to race with and when you beat him, it's a good feeling."
With Earnhardt's arrival, the spotlight is going to shine even brighter in Jeff Gordon's direction. He's accustomed to being a celebrity but not a celebrity parent, which is a whole different thing.
He expects to have his wife and daughter with him at the racetrack for the first time Sunday but wants to keep it low-key.
"I'm a proud papa and I want to show her off, but I don't want her to be exploited," he said. "I have less concern as a baby, but when she's a year or two old, I'm sure we'll need to be more protective of her.
"All this is new to us. It's just a weird thing to deal with."
If he thinks parenthood is weird now, just wait until she's a teenager.
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