NASCAR: Gordon adjusting to being a parent

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Jeff Gordon was relieved to get back into Victory Lane on Thursday, even though the Daytona 500 qualifying race won’t add to his 81 NASCAR Sprint Cup victories.

In his postrace news conference, he addressed one of the most talked-about subjects of the offseason: How did fatherhood affect his 2008 season, the first time since 1993 he did not win a race? While Gordon admitted the change in his lifestyle and sleeping habits did affect him, he also made it clear that the competitor in him has not changed one bit.

“I might sound like a terrible father here by saying it, but when I start the engine and put the helmet on, I’m not thinking a whole lot about family at that time,” he said. “I’m thinking about winning the race. But I can tell you that the second that checkered flag was waving, the first thing on my mind was that I can’t wait to see Ingrid and Ella in Victory Lane.

“There’s no doubt that being a parent has changed me. It’s not how I drive — it’s my focus on driving that’s changed, because I’m not used to getting up at 6:30 in the morning. I’m not used to going to bed at 10 or 10:30 at night. It’s taken me a year to really get into that mode, and I think a lot of it is because I’m interacting with her so much more now that’s she’s talking and she’s growing.

“I see my role as a father just becoming more and more involved, and I love it. I don’t think I ever said last year that it didn’t take a toll on me, that it wasn’t affecting me. It just wasn’t what everybody else thought.”

Where are the cheaters?

Speedweeks here have become known for a lot of things in recent years, not the least of which is that someone — and usually more than one — gets caught trying to manipulate NASCAR’s rulebook. This year, through Friday at least, not a single team has been penalized, something that caught the eye of veteran driver Jeff Burton.

“How long has it been since that happened?” Burton asked. “At Daytona, the Daytona 500 qualifying, every year somebody gets called for something, and there’s been none of that this year. I guess you guys (the media) are a little bored right now.”

Logano impresses Stewart

Tony Stewart isn’t known as the most sentimental of racers, but he was pleased to see the 20 Joe Gibbs Racing team and his replacement, rookie Joey Logano, race up front in Thursday’s qualifying race.

“I just couldn’t figure out what took him so long,” joked Stewart, who left JGR to become co-owner and driver of Stewart-Haas Motorsports. “I knew he’d get there. I mean, obviously Joey has a lot of talent. He’s with a great race team. I know that firsthand.

“To come here today on a day when this race normally is a little more difficult because of the weather, you know, to have a run like he had today, I’m proud to see that those guys aren’t having problems, and proud that Joey’s really made some big gains in a short amount of time. You can tell he’s getting more comfortable. You can see it when you’re out there with him. Every lap he gets more comfortable than the one before.”

Harvick on 300 pole

Kevin Harvick led the usually strong field in Nationwide Series Camping World 300 qualifying Friday, earning the pole with a lap of 48.778 seconds. It will be Harvick’s 18th career Nationwide Series start from the first spot, tying him for sixth most all time.

Sprint Cup regular Matt Kenseth will start on the outside of the front row, while Clint Bowyer heads the second row next to Nationwide regular Jason Leffler. Defending race champion Stewart heads the second row, followed by Greg Biffle.

Logano will start eighth, Carl Edwards 10th, Kyle Busch 13th and Dale Earnhardt Jr. 24th.