A lot like the late Dale Earnhardt, Gordon kind of keeps his emotions in check and doesn’t let you really see the soft side of him. But he jumped up and down, hollered and screamed after he won the Talladega race because it was the first time that his little angel was in Victory Lane with him. It was a special moment in Jeff and wife Ingrid’s life. Unless you’ve been there with that first child in victory circle and experienced the thrill of a lifetime, it’s hard to describe. You’re excited, not because you won the race, but you’ve got that little angel with you.
When your personal life is good, it seems like your professional life is that much better. I’m proud of Jeff. He’s got it going in all the right ways. I congratulate him on the success he’s having. My 84 wins are special to me, and I’m sure they’re special to Bobby Allison. But there’s no question that Gordon is going to win a lot more than 84. I actually think he’ll end up winning over 100 races. He’s 36 years old and he’s a got a good 10-15 years ahead of him if he wants it. I’d almost say that his goal is to win seven or eight championships and at least 100 races. That’s going to be an incredible accomplishment for a guy that just started in Cup racing in 1992. Darrell Waltrip, FoxSports
Jeff Gordon will agree this is perhaps the most magical of his 14 Cup seasons — but not because each of the four-time champion’s six wins has been accompanied by reminders of the good fortune needed to capture a fifth title.
All of those signs of destiny pale next to the smiles of his daughter.
“This is my year, just because I’m being a father, ” said Gordon, who proudly cradled 3-month-old Ella Sofia in victory lane for the first time two weeks ago. “And even with the wins that we’ve had so far, for me personally, it’s just been the most incredible year.
“I hope more than anything that we can seal that off with a championship, because it would be just one of those dream years that I don’t think I could ever even touch ever again, even better than ‘98 (title) and the 13 wins. ” Nate Ryan, USA TODAY
With five races remaining, it looks to be Gordon’s title to lose, and Hendrick believes its a direct correlation to his personal life.
“I think I see a real happy Jeff Gordon,” Hendrick said. “I think that his life outside of racing is probably the best it’s ever been, especially with his little girl.”
This resurgence has helped Gordon continue his assault on the record books. He passed the late Dale Earnhardt for sixth on the career wins list this spring, and with 81 career victories, he’s poised to shoot up the standings. CanadianPress
| 
|