AVONDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Coy Gibbs, vice chairman of his father, NFL and NASCAR Hall of Famer Joe Gibbs Racing, died Sunday morning hours after his son won the Xfinity Series Championship. I was. he was 49 years old.
“Joe Gibbs Racing has confirmed that Coy Gibbs (co-owner) was with the Lord while he slept last night. The family appreciates all thoughts and prayers and has asked for privacy at this time. The team said in a statement released just before the start of the NASCAR season finale.
Joe Gibbs lost two sons. JD Gibbs died of degenerative neurological disease in 2019, and at the time of his death he was still 49. Coy Gibbs succeeded his older brother as vice president of his family-run NASCAR organization .
“We are heartbroken at the tragic loss of Coy Gibbs. On behalf of the French family and NASCAR as a whole, my sincerest condolences to Joe, Pat, Heather, the Gibbs family and everyone at Joe Gibbs Racing. Our deepest condolences for the loss of our friend and racer Coy,” said NASCAR President and CEO Jim France.
NASCAR paid tribute to Coy Gibbs before the Cup championship kicked off on Sunday at Phoenix Raceway, where JGR’s Christopher Bell was racing for the title. JGR put all four of his crew, his chief in his golf cart, and took him to a meeting in the camper parking lot two hours before the start of the race.
“Today we do things we don’t want to do, but we come together as a family and compete for the name on our chest.” JGR driver Denny Hamlin tweeted.
Ty Gibbs was due to drive No. 23 for 23XI Racing, but was replaced by Daniel Hemric due to what 23XI called a “family emergency”.
The shy Gibbs had just wrapped up a tumultuous week with his 20-year-old son. Who won the Xfinity title on Saturday And he will soon be named to replace Kyle Busch at JGR.
However, Ty Gibbs has been criticized for his aggressive driving this year, and last week at Martinsville Speedway, he knocked teammate Brandon Jones out of the lead on the final lap. Jones needed to win the race to make the Xfinity Championship, and had Gibbs stayed in second place, JGR and Toyota would have had two cars in the finale.
On Saturday, just before Ty Gibbs won the title, Hamlin said he had a difficult week at JGR. After Ty Gibbs crashed Jones, he tweeted, “I miss JD,” explaining that he was referring to the JGR vibe established by JD Gibbs, which he called a “tight family unit.”
“We really have to treat them like our brothers and family. I think at JGR we probably work with each other less than any other team. It’s just a fact. Now I’m not saying anyone’s fault, but JD was really different because he had his arms around everyone. rice field. He really was my dad when I got into the series, so when he loses that, the culture changes a bit.
Joe Gibbs and Koy Gibbs defended the booed young driver over the next few days after winning streaks at Martinsville and Phoenix. Ty Gibbs gave his own humble apology tour before holding off Noah Gragson for his championship.
“Prayers for the Gibbs Family” Tweeted by Gragsonhad antagonized Ty Gibbs for most of the Xfinity season before congratulating him following Saturday’s title.
Coy Gibbs was a linebacker at Stanford University from 1991 to 1994 and was an offensive quality control assistant during his father’s second term as coach for the Washington NFL. Gibbs helped his father Joe Gibbs launch his motocross racing in 2007, at the time he was in NASCAR Busch for two years in his series and his three years in NASCAR’s truck series. I had a short career.
Koy Gibbs was born in Fayetteville, Arkansas and lived in Cornelius, North Carolina with his wife Heather and four children.
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