NASCAR Sprint-Cup Series
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CUP: Father’s Day Special For Gordon
Jeff Gordon and wife Ingrid are expecting their second child...
Tom Jensen  |  Posted June 19, 2010   Sonoma, CA
Jeff Gordon and wife Ingrid have a baby boy. (Photo: LAT Photographic)
Coming to Infineon Raceway is always one of Jeff Gordon’s favorite stops on the NASCAR Sprint Cup circuit. And now, it has an even more special meaning because it falls on Father’s Day weekend, which used to be when the series would race in Michigan.

Gordon is a native of Vallejo, Calif., a stone’s throw from Infineon. Three years ago, his daughter Ella was born and next month, his wife Ingrid will give birth to the couple’s first son, so Gordon has a lot on his mind, family-wise this weekend.

“It’s great to be out (here) for Father’s Day because typically I would be in Michigan and my father wouldn’t be at the track,” said Gordon, who qualified fifth for Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350. “I’ve got my stepfather and my father here this weekend which is cool. The only thing on the unfortunate side is that my wife and my daughter were not able to travel this weekend, so I’m going to miss them for Father’s Day.”

That’s only a temporary problem, though.

“We’ve got some big plans for when I get back, plus it’s my daughter’s birthday,” Gordon said. “Father’s Day definitely takes on a whole new meaning when you are a father. This weekend, the focus for me is really going to be on my (dad and stepdad) that are here and are enjoying spending a race day together, and hopefully in victory lane with them.”
Jimmie Johnson will soon be a father. (Photo: LAT Photographic)

Gordon’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Jimmie Johnson, is about to become a first-time father, giving the two something to discuss that’s a little more personal than shocks, springs and chassis setups.

“Oh yeah, we talk about that all the time,” Gordon said of Johnson and parenthood. “Again, I just know from my experience of what other parents said to me. I still had no clue what it really entails, and how exciting and challenging it truly is until you go through it. So I’m kind of at that stage where I look forward to when he and Chandra have the baby. I can say ‘Well, how was it?’ and get that reaction. I just know how excited he is and what a great dad he is going to be. I know he’s going to light up like I did.”

As for Johnson, he said the impact of Father’s Day hasn’t set in yet.

“I can't say that it means much yet,” Johnson said. “I guess once I meet my daughter and experience all that, next year will be a whole different situation. Right now, I know it is out there but there is really nothing in my heart pulling me to it, unless she comes beforehand. Then it will be a whole different experience.”

Tom Jensen is the Editor in Chief of SPEEDtv.com, Senior NASCAR Editor at RACER and a contributing Editor for TruckSeries.com. You can follow him online at twitter.com/tomjensen100 and e-mail him at Jensen is the author of “Cheating: The Bad Things Good NASCAR Nextel Cup Racers Do In Pursuit of Speed,” and has appeared on numerous television and radio shows. Jensen is the past President of the National Motorsports Press Association and an NMPA Writer of the Year.

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