By Greg Zyla

SHAMOKIN, Pa.
Still want to be a superstar race driver?  NASCAR drivers Kenny Wallace and Jimmy Spencer, who both work pre-race shows on Speed, said it best prior to the recent Nextel Cup race at Phoenix. 
Specifically, both zeroed in on the fact that if you are a big-time NASCAR driver these days, you have very little time left during the week for yourself or your family, and you earn every dollar of those the multi-milliondollar contracts.
I agree and point to this excellent example. Jeff Gordon, who won April’s Subway Fresh Fit 500 race in Phoenix on a Saturday night, didn’t go home and enjoy the following Sunday off.
On the very next day, the four-time champion traded in his stock car for a cutting board and chef’s coat at Infineon Raceway to help promote the upcoming June race. He also took his wife, Ingrid Vandebosch, to the event.
A native of Vallejo, Calif., Gordon participated in a wine country luncheon to help promote the upcoming Toyota/Save Mart 350 in June at Infineon Raceway. This took place just hours after taking the checkered flag at Phoenix.
That’s correct. Even with Gordon’s wife currently expecting the couple’s first child, a girl in late June or early July, the couple instead traveled to Infineon to do public relations and enjoy some extra “personal business.”
There was no “time off” for either of them. (Ingrid is a well-known Belgian supermodel and is familiar with tough, busy schedules.)
However, a nice “touch” to the event took place for Ingrid. Prior to the luncheon, the Gordons took part in a “mini baby shower” hosted by Infineon Raceway President and General Manager Steve Page. That’s a nice addition, indeed, as Page is noted in this business as one of the best promoters out there.
 Back to business — Gordon teamed with renowned Bay-area chef Victor Scargle to prepare a gourmet meal at the raceway for some 50 northern California media members. Gordon and Scargle dished up poached Alaskan halibut and grilled bigeye tuna. Gordon helped with the seasoning, tasting and a number of other elements and admitted that Ingrid is more of the chef at home.
“This (cooking) is scary. Tony Stewart doesn’t scare me, but this scares me,” Gordon said of preparing the meal. Gordon wore a chef’s coat embroidered with the “Jeff Gordon Collection” logo.
Which leads us to more business. The lunch featured wines from the Jeff Gordon Collection, which is produced at August Briggs Winery in Calistoga and Ravenswood Winery in Sonoma. Gordon served his 2005 Chardonnay with the halibut, while Ravenswood served a Zinfandel with the tuna. Ravenswood will be the sponsor of the raceway’s pole-day qualifying June 22.
Granted, this win-win-win appearance all comes into focus business-wise, which is certainly OK and good for everyone. The sponsor is happy, the Gordons are happy, the track promoter is happy and so on. But it does take time to accomplish, which is what Wallace and Spencer explain on their television show.
This example indeed proves just how little time these superstar drivers really have when it comes to lounging around and doing nothing for a few days. It usually doesn’t happen until the month of December.
In reality, all of the above is work, the money is good and the schedules are busy. However, the drivers are doing what they love most, and that’s taking the green flag in major-league racing.
Making big bucks and having a superstar model wife sounds great, too. 
So, do you still want to be a superstar race driver?
The answers should be:  sure, yes, of course, yep, indeed, why not? And the final, “I’d love to be that busy!”