Joe Gibbs Racing’s co-owner, Coy Gibbs, passed away at the age of 49
NASCAR and football star Coy Gibbs died. 49.
Joe Gibbs Racing acknowledged his death Sunday. He saw his son Ty win the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship Saturday at Phoenix Raceway.
Joe Gibbs Racing regretfully announces that co-owner Coy Gibbs died in his sleep yesterday night. The family appreciates the prayers and requests privacy.”
23XI Racing announced Sunday that Ty Gibbs will miss the NASCAR Cup Series finale. He drove the No. 23 Toyota in Sunday’s season-ending Phoenix race. JGR’s 2017 Xfinity Series champion Daniel Hemric replaced him.
After Stanford football, Coy Gibbs joined his father’s racing business. Coy Gibbs, a Cardinal linebacker under Hall of Fame coach Bill Walsh, later coached his father in Washington.
Gibbs worked in the front office of Joe Gibbs Racing with his brother, J.D. Gibbs, who died in 2019 after a long struggle with a degenerative neurologic disease. He was 49.
“We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of Coy Gibbs,” NASCAR Chairman and CEO Jim France said.
“Racing is a family and the relationships within the entire garage go so much deeper than on-track competition. Today, we lost a dear part of our family. The loss of Coy Gibbs is devastating to everyone at Toyota and TRD. Our deepest condolences and prayers are with Joe, Pat, Heather, Ty, Case, Jett and Elle and the entire Gibbs family and Joe Gibbs Racing family.” David Wilson, president of TRD Racing said
In a post-race news conference Saturday, Coy Gibbs congratulated his son after a difficult week for the 20-year-old driver. Ty Gibbs’ knock of teammate Brandon Jones from the championship-eligible field last weekend had drawn criticism, which his father had sought to help him weather leading into the finale.
Coy Gibbs said “Watching it today, yeah, just to see his determination, I think he’s got skills and he’s determined. It definitely made me proud. I think it made my wife — we were both proud, just because he just hammered down and did his job. If he wants to do this for a living, he’s going to learn how to do that.”
Coy Gibbs finished second in the 2003 Xfinity Series Rookie of the Year standings to David Stremme. Gibbs made 39 Xfinity starts and 58 Truck Series starts from 2000-2003, finishing second at Texas Motor Speedway in September 2002.
