SCENEDAILY - 05:00AM ET SUNDAY JULY 1, 2007
BY SCENEDAILY STAFF REPORT
LOUDON, N.H. - Nextel Cup drivers are usually in a big hurry to get home, but Jeff Gordon had a little extra incentive to rush home from Infineon Raceway last weekend.
Ella Sofia Gordon. Gordon's daughter, was born June 20, two days before Nextel Cup qualifying in Sonoma, Calif.
So Gordon didn't have a lot of time with her and his wife, Ingrid Vandebosch. But he remedied that last week.
"Amazing, absolute amazing," Gordon said of his first week as a father. "Fortunately I didn't have a lot going on with my schedule this week so I was able to just spend a lot of time with Ella and with Ingrid and just loving every minute of it. It just seems to get better each day."
Gordon said it was a little more difficult to leave home and come to New Hampshire International Speedway for this weekend's Lenox Industrial Tools 300, but he also realizes this is his job.
"It's harder to leave but once we get here, your mind is so focused on driving the car, being competitive, that it doesn't enter into your mind a whole lot," Gordon said. "So it's only times like this when I get asked about it, and it reminds me and I get excited about going home.
"When I'm in the car [it's the] same way, I'm focused on that. Anytime I have to go do an appearance or leave to come to the race, it's much tougher, but it's also a lot more exciting to go home when I do."
Gordon said he is sleeping a little less these days, but even he gets more sleep than Vandebosch.
"I'm getting less sleep, that's for sure," Gordon said. "It's not so bad, it's been good. Ingrid's been fantastic. I don't know how she does it because she's got to be up every three hours, but the baby's sleeping good, feeding good, so that's helping both of us."
Gordon hasn't put all the responsibilities of raising his daughter on Vandebosch, saying he's helped burp Ella Sofia, helped change diapers. And he's endured the normal baby drool, too.
"I'm pretty good about having the little rags around me and stuff and the bib on her but I haven't had the projectile [vomiting] yet," Gordon said with a laugh.
BY SCENEDAILY STAFF REPORT
LOUDON, N.H. - Nextel Cup drivers are usually in a big hurry to get home, but Jeff Gordon had a little extra incentive to rush home from Infineon Raceway last weekend.
Ella Sofia Gordon. Gordon's daughter, was born June 20, two days before Nextel Cup qualifying in Sonoma, Calif.
So Gordon didn't have a lot of time with her and his wife, Ingrid Vandebosch. But he remedied that last week.
"Amazing, absolute amazing," Gordon said of his first week as a father. "Fortunately I didn't have a lot going on with my schedule this week so I was able to just spend a lot of time with Ella and with Ingrid and just loving every minute of it. It just seems to get better each day."
Gordon said it was a little more difficult to leave home and come to New Hampshire International Speedway for this weekend's Lenox Industrial Tools 300, but he also realizes this is his job.
"It's harder to leave but once we get here, your mind is so focused on driving the car, being competitive, that it doesn't enter into your mind a whole lot," Gordon said. "So it's only times like this when I get asked about it, and it reminds me and I get excited about going home.
"When I'm in the car [it's the] same way, I'm focused on that. Anytime I have to go do an appearance or leave to come to the race, it's much tougher, but it's also a lot more exciting to go home when I do."
Gordon said he is sleeping a little less these days, but even he gets more sleep than Vandebosch.
"I'm getting less sleep, that's for sure," Gordon said. "It's not so bad, it's been good. Ingrid's been fantastic. I don't know how she does it because she's got to be up every three hours, but the baby's sleeping good, feeding good, so that's helping both of us."
Gordon hasn't put all the responsibilities of raising his daughter on Vandebosch, saying he's helped burp Ella Sofia, helped change diapers. And he's endured the normal baby drool, too.
"I'm pretty good about having the little rags around me and stuff and the bib on her but I haven't had the projectile [vomiting] yet," Gordon said with a laugh.
