How did Joe Gibbs get into NASCAR? All you need to know

Joe Jackson Gibbs is a NASCAR Hall of Famer who founded his Cup Series team, Joe Gibbs Racing, in 1992. Unlike most team owners with automobile backgrounds, the 84-year-old North Carolina native had an unconventional approach to entering the racing team ownership business.

Gibbs started his professional career as a coach for college football teams before transitioning to the NFL. He is known for his time as the head coach of the Washington Redskins, now the Washington Commanders, from 1981 to 1992. Gibbs won four NFC championships, three Super Bowl triumphs, and nine playoff appearances with the team.

Jan 26, 1992 - Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA - Washington Redskins MARK RYPIEN with head coach JOE GIBBS against the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl 26 at Metrodome. - Source: Getty

In 1992, Joe Gibbs and his son, the late J.D. Gibbs, founded JGR in Huntersville, North Carolina. After announcing his retirement in 1993, Gibbs shifted his focus towards building his Cup Series team which fielded a one-car entry with Dale Jarrett in 1992. Jarrett earned the team's breakthrough win in the 1993 Daytona 500 race.

Speaking in an interview in 2022, Gibbs spoke about where his love for racing came from. He said (via Cars and Culture)

"I moved to California when I was 16 and everybody in southern California, late '50s and early '60s... it was hot rods and drag racing. And man I had every kind of hot rod you can think of, none of them expensive obviously. I think the most I ever paid for one was 800 bucks… But I was into hot rods and that was the culture. Then I got into drag racing… So that's where I fell into the fact that I love cars, I loved working on 'em."

While Gibbs' son oversaw the day-to-day operations as the team underwent expansion, the NFL Coach of the Year returned to serve as the head coach of Redskins for a brief stint from 2004 to 2007, after reportedly receiving several offers from other famed NFL teams.

After this brief return to coaching, Gibbs has remained an advisor to the team and, this time for good, with this time being focused solely on the championship-winning NASCAR team.

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Exploring Joe Gibbs Racing's successes and drivers

Since its inception, Joe Gibbs Racing has been one of the strongest NASCAR organizations. It has secured five Cup Series titles, in 2000, 2002, 2005, 2015, and 2019, and four Xfinity Series championships. Coach Gibbs' team has racked up 214 wins and has won three more Daytona 500 wins, courtesy of Denny Hamlin.

Joe Gibbs with Denny Hamlin at 2019 Daytona 500 - Source: Imagn

As of 2024, JGR fields four full-time entries in the Cup Series division. The #11 is driven by Hamlin and the #20 by Christopher Bell. The #54 is helmed by Ty Gibbs, grandson of Joe Gibbs, and the newest driver to have joined the Toyota shed is Chase Briscoe, who replaced Martin Truex Jr. in the #19 Camry following the end of the 2024 season.

Notably, during the current off-season, Joe Gibbs has changed his stance on drivers from his team competing in dirt racing. Previously, JGR prohibited its Cup drivers from participating in dirt racing events. However, the NFL coach-turned NASCAR team owner has opened up possible opportunities for Briscoe, Bell, and Ty Gibbs to participate in dirt racing from 2025.