Jeff Gordon: Jimmie Johnson will lose sleep but not drive as new father
Hendrick Motorsports' Jeff Gordon holds his daughter prior to the June 2009 race at Infineon Raceway. // Archives, NASCAR Illustrated
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Jeff Gordon doesn’t think Jimmie Johnson will race any different when the four-time champ adds “father” to his resume, an addition expected this summer for the Hendrick Motorsports driver.
Gordon, whose daughter Ella Sofia was born in June 2007, said the biggest thing Johnson will learn is what all new parents learn – sleeping will be a challenge.
“You just don’t sleep the way that you used to,” Gordon said during the Preseason Thunder Fan Fest at Daytona International Speedway. “I’m still trying to figure that part out. I think it’s important to have a few nights of eight hours of sleep – it is for me anyway – to be focused at my job.
“I’m fortunate that Ingrid recognizes that and is open enough to not travel throughout the weekend until race day, unless it makes sense or we’re on the west coast and we’re in a hotel and I can go stay in the bus or something the night before the race.”
As far as racing goes, Gordon doesn’t expect Johnson to race any different.
“It doesn’t affect your desire to want to win,” Gordon said. “It doesn’t affect you in the car not wanting to take risks. It didn’t affect me that way, and I don’t think it’s going to affect Jimmie.
“I haven’t seen it affect other drivers that way. Where it affects you is a very important part of your life that is amazing and you want to experience it to the fullest, and there’s no way that that can’t affect your priorities a little bit or a lot.”
Johnson also should get to experience the perks of fatherhood that Gordon has during the offseason. The family vacations centered around Ella.
“We did the Macy’s Day Parade in New York for Thanksgiving,” said Gordon, who has a place in the city. “That was a lot of fun. Ella had a blast seeing all the balloons.
“We went down to the Bahamas and swam with dolphins, and sea lions and stuff in Atlantis. It was all about Ella. It was a good vacation.”
One unique opportunity was for Ella to watch Gordon on television. Sure, she’s seen him on the race track, but this time she saw him on “Sesame Street.” The show was filmed a year ago but aired in December.
Ella actually got to go to the filming.
“That was a very cool experience,” Gordon said. “I wish she had been a little bit older when we were there because I think she would have even appreciated it more today than she did.”
Obviously, Ella didn’t have the easiest time figuring things out the first time she watched the show.
“It was hilarious because I was sitting next to her,” Gordon said. “I didn’t want to watch it because I don’t like watching myself on TV, but I did for her. She’s like looking at the TV and looking at me and looking at the TV and … she was having a hard time figuring that out, but she seemed to like it. That’s cool.”
