AVONDALE, Ariz. — When Joey Logano spoke during his post-race television interview, he didn’t quite know how to feel.
He went from exhilarated to sorrowful and back to exhilarated in seconds in front of the camera. Logano won his second Cup Series championship, and just as anyone would be, he was thrilled. But for a brief moment, he also became teary-eyed and acknowledged the untimely death of Coy Gibbs, who he’s known since the start of his career.
For NASCAR, Sunday was a sad day, but it was also a day of celebration. The 2022 season came to a close and for many within the industry, it was a “last day of school” feeling. For the fans, it was a day of anticipation to see who would become the champion. For Joe Gibbs Racing, it was a day of mourning, but also competing, simultaneously.
“I don’t know what to think,” Logano said. “My condolences go to the Gibbs family. But just an incredible day for us, and kind of mixed emotions at the moment.”
On Saturday, 20-year-old phenom Ty Gibbs won the Xfinity Series championship. However, he already receives more hostility from the grandstand crowds than some drivers might endure in their entire careers.
Gibbs quickly established a reputation of being a disrespectful driver who only has his opportunities because of his grandfather’s team. When he won at Martinsville Speedway after dumping teammate Brandon Jones near the end of last weekend’s race, the spectators chanted, “Thank you, Grandpa” while he celebrated his victory on the frontstretch.
Gibbs has had numerous run-ins with competitors throughout the season. Perhaps the most notable scuffle was the one with JR Motorsports driver Sam Mayer at Martinsville earlier this year. The dislike he drew from NASCAR fans seemed to take off after that night, and the booing hasn’t relented since that race.
However, Gibbs has proven to be an immense talent and has not let the pressure from outsiders who say his success is solely from his wealthy family get to him. He won an ARCA championship, an Xfinity race in his series debut, and now the Xfinity championship in his first full season. Most drivers couldn’t fathom having that on their resumé before having the ability to legally drink.
But the range of emotions he endured from Saturday night to Sunday morning couldn’t be larger. He just won the biggest thing in his life, and hours later, suffered one of the greatest losses in his life, too.
Coy Gibbs, 49, was the father of Ty and three other children. He was a partial owner of his father’s team — officially the vice chairman and chief operating officer for JGR. He’s been an integral part of the organizational success at the Toyota-powered squad, and it goes without saying that his influence on Ty’s career will be missed as he presumably replaces Kyle Busch in the No. 18 Cup Series car.
“It is with great sorrow that Joe Gibbs Racing confirms that Coy Gibbs (co-owner) went to be with the Lord in his sleep last night. The family appreciates all the thoughts and prayers and asks for privacy at this time.,” the team announced in a statement.
Ty Gibbs did not race the No. 23 for 23XI Racing on Sunday. Daniel Hemric replaced the newly-crowned Xfinity champion. Joe Gibbs left Phoenix Raceway a few hours before the start of the race.
For Joe Gibbs and his wife Pat, it is the second time they have to mourn the death of a son. J.D., who suffered from a neurological disorder, died before the 2019 NASCAR season, also at age 49.
Condolences were expressed by the entire NASCAR community on Sunday morning, and a moment of silence was held during the pre-race ceremonies in the late Gibbs’ honor.
Words can’t describe this day. Today was already going to be tough enough but it’s even more gut wrenching now. Heartbroken.
— Kyle Busch (@KyleBusch) November 6, 2022
A statement from NASCAR Chairman and CEO Jim France on the passing of Coy Gibbs. pic.twitter.com/Ja94LfO5C8
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) November 6, 2022
Once the race started, it was back to business. Logano, Chase Elliott, Ross Chastain, and JGR’s Christopher Bell had a trophy to pursue.
Logano started from the pole and drove in a dominant fashion en route to another title. His Team Penske teammate Ryan Blaney finished second in the race and Chastain finished third to clinch the runner-up position in the championship.
Chastain was arguably the underdog story of 2022 as he far exceeded expectations in his first year with the young Trackhouse Racing team. He wasn’t upset to lose the title by two on-track positions, but rather proud of the ascending pathway of his career.
“What makes me so happy is we can just keep fighting and no one is ever upset,” he said. “Like we keep our world small. We all do our jobs. Everybody at Trackhouse just put forth their best effort throughout the season, and we ended as strong as I’ve ever seen us.
“Everybody stepped it up in the sport, in the playoffs here at the end, and we did the same thing. I’m proud of that.”
For Logano, he soaked in Championship No. 2. He knew what emotions to expect, and he knew he wanted to celebrate with his son, Hudson. He took Hudson in the car during the celebration — a move he felt inspired to do after seeing Kevin Harvick do it with his son Keelan at Michigan in 2020.
“You have to cherish every moment in life,” Logano said when asked about sharing father-son moments. “It meant a lot having Hudson with me.”
On a day when father-son relationships became an unexpected theme in the championship weekend, Logano knew he couldn’t take his championship celebration and time with his family for granted.
“You don’t know when you’re number is called,” he said. “We always say God has a plan, and I agree with that, but it doesn’t make it easier.”
Logano led 187 of 312 laps. He clinched a NASCAR championship for the second time in five seasons and gave Roger Penske a championship sweeping year between NASCAR and IndyCar for the first time.
Penske and Logano were on top of the world Sunday night, but the atmosphere was Phoenix Raceway was different. There was a crossing between happiness and pride with sadness and shock.
“For the whole sport, it’s a sad day,” Logano, a former JGR driver, said. “For me, it’s a bittersweet type of thing because here we are winning a championship, and here we are one of the people that’s a leader in our sport and someone I’ve known for a while is gone, and I don’t really know how to explain that and how hard that is.
“Obviously, our prayers and thoughts go to the Gibbs family and everyone over at JGR. When you think they’ve had a rough run at it, I couldn’t imagine how Joe feels right now.”
Looking ahead, there will be changes in the garage. Kyle Busch ran his last race with JGR, and he’ll replace Tyler Reddick at Richard Childress Racing. Reddick, meanwhile, will replace Kurt Busch in the No. 45 Toyota of 23XI Racing.
Ty Gibbs will presumably begin his full-time NASCAR Cup career in three months, but his life and his race team have been permanently altered. Coy Gibbs was going to mentor his son and support him as he began his tenure at NASCAR’s top level. He’s made several starts this season, but he’ll have to continue his career without him now. Perhaps a parallel narrative to Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s story after he lost his father in a crash on the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500.
Joe Gibbs is 81, and over the last several years, some of the team owners who have been in NASCAR for decades have begun to share their reigns with younger people. Jeff Gordon has ownership at Hendrick Motorsports, Brad Keselowski bought into Roush Fenway Racing before this season, Denny Hamlin branched off from JGR to start 23XI with NBA legend Michael Jordan two years ago, Jimmie Johson just joined Petty-GMS Motorsports this weekend, etc. The list goes on.
Coy Gibbs seemed to be the apparent heir of JGR. The future of the team is definitely uncertain because, respectfully, Coach Gibbs can’t be here forever.
Ty Gibbs’ was so widely disliked by fans as recently as Saturday evening. The next morning, none of that mattered. His father’s death simply stunned the community. As a family, it was supposed to be one of the greatest weekends ever as Ty clinched a national-level NASCAR championship. Instead, it’s one of the worst, and one must feel sympathy for the Gibbs’ family.
“(Coy) took on a huge role to fill the shoes of his brother — maybe a little bit more on the competition side instead of the business side in that respect — but he would push us all to try to go forward, and win races, and be competitive, and be strong,” Kyle Busch said post-race. “A majority of my thoughts are obviously with Joe and the family, and everybody else.”
Rest in Peace, Coy Gibbs.
