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# Martin to sub for Jeff Gordon when baby arrives? If #24-Jeff Gordon is forced to miss a race to attend the birth of his daughter, series veteran Mark Martin will man the #24 DuPont Chevy, multiple sources within the Hendrick Motorsports organization told ESPN.com Wednesday. Martin on Wednesday afternoon will be fitted for a racing seat in preparation for the substitute role, sources said, and plans to begin stand-by duty for Gordon at Infineon Raceway next month. Hendrick Motorsports officials chose not to comment, saying rather that Gordon would address the matter Thursday at Lowe's Motor Speedway, site of this weekend's Coca-Cola 600. Sources said Gordon personally sought out Martin to stand in for him, and after clearing the idea with Ginn Racing officials, Martin gladly accepted. Gordon's wife, Ingrid Vandebosch, is due the week of the June 24 Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma. Martin will fly to Sonoma, during a weekend when he is slated to be idle from racing. If Gordon doesn't require his services, Martin will remain on hand to coach Regan Smith in the #01 US Army Chevy [Ginn Racing]. According to NASCAR officials, Martin could get in the #24 without practicing in the car, so long as Nextel Cup director John Darby gives his blessing. Given Martin's veteran experience, that would seem to be all but a foregone conclusion. If baby Gordon arrives a week early, sources said Martin will turn the #01 Chevrolet over to Smith at Michigan Speedway and drive the #24 for Gordon. Likewise, in the event the baby is a week late, Martin would sub for Gordon at New Hampshire. Gordon hasn't missed a race in his Cup Series career, a span of 484 consecutive races. The last race run without Gordon in the field was the 28th race of the 1992 season, at Phoenix International Raceway.(ESPN.com)(5-23-2007)

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Auto racing, bull fighting and mountain climbing are the only real sports... the rest are just games........ Earnest Hemmingway

a wise choice with Mark Martin. But with times like they are, they will probably induce Ingrid on Monday morning so Jeff won't have to miss a race....

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STORMY


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That's awesome! WTG Mark!

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If You Wont Stand Behind OUR TROOPS please feel free to stand in front of them


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The JACK CREW!!!

lol I ain't no RN flash...but... my X and I had our 3 kids.... all 3 were induced... they give the woman an IV with pitosin... I am not sure of the spelling... any how it causes the whole baby coming situation!

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Auto racing, bull fighting and mountain climbing are the only real sports... the rest are just games........ Earnest Hemmingway

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"I won't forget to put roses on your grave"

go Mark!

I can tell you from experience personally about the inducing labor. If it is around the due date, or if the mother or baby is under some type of stress, they hook you up to an iv, and give a drug that starts the contractions...It doesn't take long before it works...usually less than an hour....I can tell you though, it doesn't make labor any easier...ha..ha..ha...

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STORMY


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SCENEDAILY - 8:18PM ET FRIDAY MAY 25, 2007 -


Jeff Gordon (right) and his wife, Ingrid Vandebosch, have a backup plan in place in case their daughter is born during the Infineon Raceway weekend. JERRY MARKLAND / GETTY IMAGES

CONCORD, N.C. - Four-time NASCAR Cup champion Jeff Gordon says he knew immediately who he wanted to fill in for him at Infineon Raceway if he has to miss the Sonoma Nextel Cup race for the birth of his daughter.

It just took a little bit of convincing to get four-time series runner-up Mark Martin to agree to it.

"The first person that we thought of was Mark Martin," Gordon said. "And the way we've been working with him with Hendrick and the Ginn team, and him running a part-time schedule, I thought that he might be interested, and I threw it out to him. It took a little while to convince him. I talked to him about it. He's been very gracious, and that's awesome.

"I hope we don't have to use him and hope it doesn't come to that. But, wow, what an awesome opportunity for the No. 24 DuPont team to have a guy like that step in for me if we needed him to because those owner points are very important."

Martin has 35 career victories, one at Infineon Raceway and four on road courses. Of Gordon's nine career road-course wins, five have come at Infineon, including last year on the day he announced his engagement to Ingrid Vandebosch. Martin is running a part-time schedule this year for Ginn Racing, which is affiliated with Gordon's Hendrick Motorsports. Though the two organizations work together, it is Martin's schedule that gave Gordon pause.

"He made a commitment to his team," Gordon said. "And because he's doing a part-time schedule and he's been very appreciative of them working their schedule the way they have for him this year to give him more time off, that when you say, 'Hey, Mark, I know you might not be running Sonoma, but could you come there and be on standby for me?' That puts him in a tough position with his own team."

Gordon has made 484 consecutive Cup starts and never missed a race in 14 years. He's determined to miss one this year, though, if he has to.

"I hope I don't ever. I don't want to miss one," he says. "But there are only two things I can think of as to why I would miss a race. One is that I wasn't healthy enough to be there, and two would be because I have a baby being born.

"I expressed to her [Ingrid] early on, what a special occasion and moment in my life this is, and how special it is for both of us, and I wouldn't miss it for anything. I love racing, but I don't love it that much."

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Ryan Newman, Daytona 500 Champion!!
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