“Joe Gibbs is a persuasive person”: When Dale Jarrett opened up on choosing a ‘football coach’ over the historic Wood Brothers Racing 

Former NASCAR driver Dale Jarrett once spoke about his reasons for picking the newly formed Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) over the well-established Wood Brothers Racing, where had served as the pilot for their #21 Chevrolet for two full-time seasons. JGR was established in 1992 by former Football Hall of Fame coach Joe Gibbs.

Jarrett started his career in NASCAR in the Budweiser Late Model Sportsman Series (now Xfinity) in the 1982 Goody's 300 at Daytona International Speedway. In his 24 years in the sport, the 68-year-old secured 43 race wins, of which 32 came in the Cup Series.

In a July 2019 episode of the Dale Jr. Download podcast, Jarrett expressed his views on joining Joe Gibbs Racing after having spent two years with Wood Brothers Racing, whom he credits for giving him a second chance in the Cup Series. Following that, Jarrett said:

"Why am I thinking that I might even go with the football coach they're starting a race team for the first time and he's gonna get all of this equipment from Rick Hendrick, so you're gonna be competing." [01:34 onwards]

"Joe Gibbs is a very persuasive person and you know he's successful at whatever he does, and I've told people this. I remember the first time that he called was after the Dover race in June and I laughed because I thought it was one of my friends playing a joke on me and I started laughing[...] I'd met him in Talladega earlier that year. Anyway we had these meetings and started talking about it," Dale Jarrett added.

Jarrett then explained how his family had shared very close relationships with Wood Brothers Racing and how the decision he was about to make would be difficult for everyone. Following that, the former Cup Series champion shared his reason for joining JGR.

"This is a brand new team that was going to start out. I said 'This is my chance to win the Daytona 500 because of the Hendrick stuff I hear. So I say I'm gonna make the move and once again it was more money, so you know that factored in here while so it just seemed like the right thing to do at that time."

Dale Jarrett eventually won his first Daytona 500 in 1993, achieving what he set out to do with his move to Joe Gibbs.

Since its inception, Joe Gibbs Racing has secured five driver championships in the Cup Series, four in the Xfinity Series, and one in the ARCA Series, cementing its position as a top team in NASCAR.

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Exploring Dale Jarrett's three Daytona 500 triumphs

NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Jarrett secured his first Daytona 500 victory with Joe Gibbs Racing in 1993, piloting their #18 Chevrolet. Jarrett started the race in P2, second to Kyle Petty's #42 Pontiac. The former champion passed Dale Earnhardt in the final stages of the race and secured his first win at the prestigious event.

His second Daytona 500 win came in 1996, when he had moved on from JGR to Robert Yates Racing, piloting their #88 Ford. Jarrett started out on pole and dominated throughout the race before crossing the finish line in front of seven-time Cup Series champion Dale Earnhardt yet again.

His final Daytona victory came in 2000 in the #88 Robert Yates Ford, where started on pole position. Jarret led 89 of the 200 laps of the crown jewel event, crossing the finish line ahead of Jeff Burton and Bill Elliott, who completed the podium.