Coy Gibbs, who had a long career in both NASCAR racing and coaching in the National Football League, has passed away. He was 49.
Who Was Coy Gibbs?
American NASCAR racer Coy Randall Gibbs was also a co-owner of Joe Gibbs Racing and an assistant coach for the Washington Redskins. He was the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer and five-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, Joe Gibbs.
Gibbs moved to Cornelius, North Carolina with his wife Heather and their four children, sons Ty, Case, and Jett, and daughter Elle. Gibbs was born in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
From 1991 until 1994, Gibbs was a linebacker for Stanford University’s collegiate football team.
As a senior, he was the Cardinal’s tackle leader. He joined the Redskins in 2004 as an offensive quality control assistant, working there until 2007. This was after his father was rehired as the team’s coach.
In 2000, Gibbs made his NASCAR debut in the Craftsman Truck Series, sharing the wheel with his brother J. D. of the No. 18 Chevrolet. He started competing on a full-time basis in 2001, achieving two top-five results and placing 10th in the standings in both 2001 and 2002.
He took Mike McLaughlin’s seat in the Busch Series in 2003, recording two top-ten finishes and finishing second to David Stremme in the competition for Rookie of the Year. After the season, he stopped competing in races.
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In 2002, Gibbs and Kevin Harvick competed in the Martinsville Speedway spring Truck Series race, which stands out as one of his most memorable NASCAR performances. During the race, Harvick, who was operating the #6 truck that he owned, made contact with Gibbs, who was operating the #18 truck for his father’s team.
After a restart, Harvick retaliated by purposefully damaging Gibbs, which caused the #6 to be parked for the remainder of the race.
Coy Gibbs Death
Gibbs passed away peacefully in his sleep on November 6, 2022, at the age of 49, the same night that his son Ty Gibbs won the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship. Gibbs passed away on the night that his son won the championship.
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.
— Joe Gibbs Racing (@JoeGibbsRacing) November 6, 2022
The circumstances behind his passing have not been made public. It was just prior to the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race when the news of his passing was made public, and in his honor, a moment of silence was observed during the race.
Before and after the race, a number of drivers, including Christopher Bell, Denny Hamlin, and Kyle Busch, as well as Joey Logano, a former driver for Joe Gibbs Racing, paid tribute to Gibbs. Logano, who ultimately won the race, dedicated his victory to Gibbs, as well as the championship he won, after the race.
In his final press conference, Coy stated that he is “definitely proud” of his son Ty, who won the championship on Saturday and led a race-high 125 laps while doing so. Coy’s statement came shortly before Ty won the championship.
According to the Associated Press, the press conference took place one week after Ty was criticized for forcing his teammate Brandon Jones to lose control of their vehicle, which eliminated Jones from contention for the championship.
In the video that was uploaded by Kenny Wallace, who is now retired as a driver, the man can be heard saying, “As a father, I will always have his back.” “It goes without saying that going through unpleasant events is incredibly upsetting.
It actually breaks your heart more to see him go through it than it does to experience it yourself. I don’t give a rip. I’m old and I don’t give a damn anymore. It is difficult to watch your child suffer, especially when the child is aware that he or she has done something wrong. Being a parent is not an easy job, that much is certain.
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