June 21, 2008
By Brenda Benedict
The world of NASCAR has been buzzing with big news stories this past week. Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s win at Michigan stands in sharp contrast to the multimillion dollar lawsuit that has been filed against NASCAR by a former Nationwide official. NASCAR must have been happy to have Junior win to get the media attention away from any negative press they are receiving because of the lawsuit.
But there is a story this week that hasn’t gotten as much press but it may have ramifications that could change the list of Chase contenders after the Richmond race in September.
Jeff Gordon’s 18th place finish at the Father’s Day LifeLock 400 at Michigan International Speedway may be symbolic of Jeff’s entrance into the world of fatherhood.
Fatherhood changes men or sometimes changes men. The sudden appearance of a helpless baby who is depending on them for their very existence is a sobering experience. The birth of a child can be a turning point in a man’s life. It was for Darrell Waltrip.
Darrell Waltrip describes his own experience at becoming a father in his book “DW: A Lifetime Going Around in Circles”. He states “The day Jessica was born was the most life-changing experience I’ve had.”
Jeff expresses a similar emotion when he said, “This incredible sense of responsibility washed over and paralyzed me a bit.” (NASCAR.com)
Darrell Waltrip goes on to say that fatherhood changed him in many ways. In a manner that only Darrell could say, he stated, “When we had that kid, I became a different man.”
Jeff’s words this week seem to echo Darrell’s sentiments. Jeff is quoted on NASCAR.com as saying that "Being a parent is a lot of hard work and one of the toughest things I've ever done, but it's also the most gratifying and exciting thing I've ever been a part of."
When Darrell changed after his daughter’s birth is also affected the way he raced. “If you look at my career from that day forward, I never had the same results again.”
We may be seeing the same type of transition in Jeff Gordon. Jeff’s statistics this season are still good. But after 15 races, he has not had a victory. Last year he had 4 victories at this point. His average finish place this year is 14.9 compared to a 7.3 for 2007.
Darrell describes the change in his driving after Jessica’s birth like this. “I drove differently. I was more cautious, because up to that point I never believed I had much of anything. It was just me and Stevie. I never thought about getting hurt, but then after we had Jessica, I thought ‘Man, if I get hurt...what would Stevie and this little baby do?’ It changed the way I drove.”
Jeff may be writing a similar story in the future. It may be that fatherhood has changed him.
Now, changing your behavior because of the arrival of children isn’t a bad thing that is meant to criticize Jeff. Children are a huge responsibility. The reality is that racing is dangerous. Race car driving demands a certain degree of fearlessness. The urge to drive fast must overcome everything including thoughts of family.
A very telling part of this story could be what Jeff had to say about this weekend in California.
As Jeff approaches the race in California, he stated that he and Ingrid have family plans during the weekend. In an interview this week, he stated,
"My daughter, Ella, will have her first birthday this Friday. For years, we've hosted an event in Napa Valley that allowed us to bring friends and family together, and now we're able to celebrate her birthday, as well.
Yes, Jeff, enjoy that first birthday party. There are wonders in our personal life that can outshine accomplishments in the professional world. It may be that the fire in the belly that many racers speak of can be somewhat extinguished by the ‘fire in the heart’ that a child can provide.
The thoughts and ideas expressed by this writer or any other writer on Insider Racing News, are not necessarily the views of the staff and/or management of IRN.
