Wednesday

When Driver Becomes Daddy

Does Having Kids Change Your Racing Career?
Huntersville, N.C. (March 3, 2010) – The stork is making frequent trips to the NASCAR garage these days, with multiple drivers recently becoming fathers and others announcing they have babies on the way. Mixed in with questions about championship runs, crew chief changes and spoilers versus splitters, drivers are being asked how daddy duty changes their racing careers.

Driver dads Bobby Labonte, Travis Kvapil, John Andretti and David Gilliland offer some expert advice to the first-time fathers:

2010 NSCS Bobby Labonte - Photo Credit: Sam Greenwood/Getty Images for NASCAR

“Life becomes a lot more busy! I was fortunate, and still am, to have great family around me. They allowed me to do what I loved to do and Donna (Bobby’s wife) is just awesome about it. Your life changes and there are going to be some new things that you’ve never experienced. Life off the track is a big change for sure.

“I don’t think it really becomes a matter at the track. These guys have been racing all their lives. I had been racing all my life. It’s our lifestyle and we’re comfortable with it. We know what it’s like from Thursday to Sunday while at the track. We have to practice, qualify and race. We support our sponsors and do things with our teams. A lot times you can get your family involved in some of those things. That’s pretty cool when you can do that. Life changes becoming a parent, but it really doesn’t change your job. In some ways it can make it even better.”

2010 NSCS Travis Kvapil - Photo Credit: Sam Greenwood/Getty Images for NASCAR

“I don’t know that it will really affect their driving style. Once we strap into these cars, it’s what we know, it’s what we do. Speaking personally, I don’t really think of family or anything other than that racecar when I’m strapped in and making laps.

“Out of the car and away from the track, you’re definitely different. You’re constantly thinking about your kids and you’re sharing as much time as you can with them. The Sprint Cup Series schedule is pretty grueling. We travel a lot, so we’re away from home a lot.

“I was kind of fortunate. I had two of my babies in the off-season, so I was there for the first two or three months of their life, and my first one was before I was even in the Truck Series. So fortunately, I had a lot of time when my kids were really little to spend time with them. But once we get into the season, it’s hard and you want to get home as soon as you can.”

2010 NSCS John Andretti - Photo Credit: Sam Greenwood/Getty Images for NASCAR

“When we had newborns, me and another driver who shall remain nameless used to leave early for the racetrack on Thursdays so we could get caught up on our rest for the weekend. Because whether you’re actively involved in the night feedings or not, you’re still involved.

“Everyone asks if you’ll change when you get married or have kids. But when you get in the racecar, you could be missing an arm and wouldn’t notice. It’s such a place of solitude that you just forget about everything. When you’re in there, you’ve got one thing on your mind. Quite honestly, I don’t think that I’ve ever thought about anything else when I was in the racecar.

“The hard part of being a dad and being a racecar driver is when they get older. When they’re babies, you just drag them wherever you want to take them. When they get older, that’s when fatherhood becomes more difficult because their agenda becomes different than yours. Now there’s compromise, and sacrifices have to be made.”

2010 NSCS David Gilliland - Photo Credit: Sam Greenwood/Getty Images for NASCAR

“I had my kids when I was pretty young, before I was racing in Sprint Cup. I was working my way up the ladder, but I was already married and we were having our kids at that time. I was near my home and my parents and Michelle’s (David’s wife) parents were there to help a lot. I wasn’t travelling to 36 races at the time either. But, my kids are still young and it’s a balancing act for sure with your time. You have to take time out for your family. There is no manual for being a parent that says this is the right way or wrong way or what you do if you are a racecar driver. You just do the best you can.

“It’s on your mind because they are your family, but we’re not alone either. The garage has always had families in the sport so there are a lot of good people to lean on. That’s always a big help.”

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