Heather Gibbs: Losing Coy, Charter Negotiations, & Ty's First Cup Win
About this episode
Kelley Earnhardt Miller sits down with Joe Gibbs Racing's Heather Gibbs to discuss the emotional highs and lows of the motorsports industry. They dive deep into Ty Gibbs' emotional first Cup Series victory at Bristol, reflecting on the bittersweet nature of the win following the tragic loss of his father, Coy Gibbs. The two share unique perspectives on raising young drivers under the intense spotlight of family legacy, dealing with public criticism, and navigating the complex business side of NASCAR team ownership.
When people hear the Gibbs name, most would think of NASCAR owner and Super Bowl champion Joe Gibbs. While Joe continues as the namesake of the motorsports powerhouse that is Joe Gibbs Racing, his daughter-in-law, Heather Gibbs, has stepped into a leadership role to help forge the future of the team.
From her early days as a baker to her success as a realtor, and now her role as a Co-Owner of Joe Gibbs Racing, Heather has a wealth of experience and perspective in the business world across real estate, racing, and even baking cakes! In this episode of Business of Motorsports with Kelley Earnhardt, Gibbs addresses the emotions of seeing her son Ty get his first Cup victory, the frustrations of the charter negotiations, the sadness of losing her husband Coy, and how the race team could look when Joe passes on the torch.
If you’re looking for business insight or just want to know more about Heather’s story, this is a fantastic interview.
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Joe Gibbs Racing
"I'm super excited to have Heather Gibbs here from Joe Gibbs Racing. We're going to just dive into a lot of topics."
A highly successful professional race team started by famous football coach Joe Gibbs that races cars in NASCAR's top divisions.
A premier NASCAR championship-winning organization founded in 1992 by former NFL coach Joe Gibbs. Headquartered in Huntersville, North Carolina, the team fields multiple entries in the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series.
Ty Gibbs
"But I want to start with the win at Bristol for Ty. Super special. I understand the legacy of family, obviously, being in the sport."
A young, talented NASCAR driver who races for his family's team, Joe Gibbs Racing, and is the grandson of the team's founder.
An American professional stock car racing driver competing in the NASCAR Cup Series for Joe Gibbs Racing. He is the grandson of team founder Joe Gibbs and won the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship.
Bristol Motor Speedway
"But I want to start with the win at Bristol for Ty. Super special."
A famous, very short, and highly steep concrete race track in Tennessee where cars race incredibly close together, often bumping into each other.
A legendary 0.533-mile short track located in Bristol, Tennessee, famous for its high banking, concrete surface, and extremely fast, physical racing. It is often referred to as 'The Last Great Colosseum.'
Denny Hamlin
"You got to be your teammate. You got to be Denny Hamlin on the track."
A famous and very successful NASCAR driver who has won the Daytona 500 three times and also co-owns his own race team with Michael Jordan.
A highly successful NASCAR Cup Series driver for Joe Gibbs Racing and co-owner of 23XI Racing. He is a three-time Daytona 500 winner and one of the sport's most prominent and outspoken figures.
track position
"And I love that when the caution came out the first time and they're like, we want to come in and Ty's like, I don't want to lose track position."
How close to the front of the race a car is. Drivers hate giving up their spot near the front because it is very hard to pass other cars to get back there.
A critical racing concept referring to a car's physical placement relative to other competitors on the track. Having good track position (running near the front) is highly valued because passing is difficult and clean air improves aerodynamic performance.
pit box
"And where we are sitting, I really couldn't see the start finish line. Our TV, you know, I'm up on the pit box."
The command center on the side of the track where the team's coaches and engineers sit to watch the race on screens and make strategy decisions.
The designated area on pit road where a race team sets up its equipment, including the elevated pit box structure where the crew chief, engineers, and owners sit to monitor telemetry and call race strategy.
Coy Gibbs
"So I was up there for for a while, you know, just trying to just just just wishing so bad being so proud of Ty, but wishing so badly that Coy was there."
A former racer and team leader at Joe Gibbs Racing who was the father of driver Ty Gibbs and sadly passed away in 2022.
Former NASCAR driver, team executive, and co-owner of Joe Gibbs Racing who tragically passed away in November 2022. He was the father of driver Ty Gibbs and son of team founder Joe Gibbs.
Daytona International Speedway
"I can feel it. You know, we had those moments back in 2001 with Dale at Daytona and that July race and all..."
The most famous race track in NASCAR, located in Florida, where the biggest race of the year (the Daytona 500) is held at extremely high speeds.
A historic 2.5-mile tri-oval superspeedway in Daytona Beach, Florida, which hosts NASCAR's most prestigious event, the Daytona 500. It is famous for high-speed pack racing and drafting.
Chris Gabehart
"A lot of noise about, you know, whether he deserves a seat, you've got the stuff going on with Chris Gaye part, you've got just the pressure of being in a Joe Gibbs car and being a relative."
The head coach and strategist (crew chief) for Denny Hamlin's NASCAR race car.
An accomplished NASCAR crew chief currently leading the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing team driven by Denny Hamlin. He has guided Hamlin to numerous victories, including multiple Daytona 500 wins.
late model
"I remember, you know, as he was coming through late models and they have the NASCAR next and Coy was like, yeah, we're not doing that."
A type of powerful, custom-built race car used on local short tracks that serves as a training ground for young drivers trying to make it to the big leagues of NASCAR.
A class of custom-built, high-performance stock cars raced on local short tracks across North America. They serve as a crucial stepping stone for drivers aspiring to reach NASCAR's national touring series.
NASCAR charter
"We got a lot of topics in terms of the charter and different things like that. But, you know, I know that fans don't always understand what it takes to run a race team."
It is like a franchise ticket for a NASCAR team. Having a charter guarantees your car gets to race in every main event and guarantees you get a piece of the prize money, making the team worth a lot more money if you want to sell it.
The NASCAR charter system is a franchise-like model introduced in 2016 that guarantees 36 charter teams entry into every Cup Series race and a guaranteed portion of the purse. Charters can be bought, sold, or leased on the open market, establishing a tangible asset value for team owners.
JR Motorsports
"But you know, we don't, we don't do this. We junior motorsports doesn't do this to make money."
A top-level race team owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his sister Kelly that competes in NASCAR's second-highest division.
A professional stock car racing team co-owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kelly Earnhardt Miller, and Rick Hendrick. The team primarily competes in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and is known for developing top-tier driving talent.
23XI Racing
"And I think our partnership with 20 through 11 has been great because of that."
A NASCAR race team co-owned by basketball superstar Michael Jordan and racing driver Denny Hamlin.
A NASCAR Cup Series team founded in 2020 by NBA legend Michael Jordan and active NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin. The team operates in close technical alliance with Joe Gibbs Racing, utilizing Toyota powertrains.
engine dyno
"People go to the beach and they listen to ocean waves. I'm like, I listened to our engine dyno and I'm like, am I just hearing there?"
A high-tech machine used in race shops to test how much power and speed an engine can make before they actually put it inside the race car.
Short for engine dynamometer, a specialized testing device used to measure an engine's power output (horsepower and torque) under controlled conditions. It is a vital tool for race engine development and tuning.
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