Team president Dave Alpern reflects on his proudest moment as a Joe Gibbs Racing employee

Dave Alpern, one of the longest-tenured employees and now the President of Joe Gibbs Racing, recently opened up about his proudest moment in all his time working with the team. He shared the insight via his recently created Instagram page called 'racecarbiz', where he often talks about the business side of NASCAR racing.

Alpern's journey with Joe Gibbs Racing began in 1992 when he joined the team as an unpaid intern. Over the years, he has held various roles within the organization, such as managing consumer products, communications, and sponsorships. In 2016, he was named team president, succeeding his close friend J.D. Gibbs, who stepped down due to health issues.

In his three decades working with JGR, Alpern has seen the team grow from 18 employees to over 500 and has worked with some top brands like Toyota, FedEx, Mars, Stanley, Coca-Cola, and Comcast. He has even represented the team at the White House following their multiple championship victories. However, none of those come close to being his proudest moment with Joe Gibbs Racing.

In an Instagram video uploaded on 1st April, David Alpern answered what was his proudest moment as a JGR employee.

"There really are a number of moments that come to mind... But I would have to say winning our very first championship in 2000," Alpern shared. "That was back when the banquet was at the Waldorf Astoria. And I remember sitting at our table at the championship looking around at the different icons in the sport; Roger Penske, Rick Hendrick, thinking I can't believe we just won."

"And that was our first championship with Bobby Labonte that was kind of when I knew, 'Hey, this is really gonna work out pretty well.' And those all of those championships are super special. Honestly, every one of our over 400 wins in both series is super special, but I'd have to say that first championship in 2000 is probably my proudest moment," he added.

While Joe Gibbs Racing has had many great achievements in NASCAR, one of their drivers recently crossed a milestone that no one would be happy about.

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Ty Gibbs sets unwanted record for Joe Gibbs Racing

Ty Gibbs had a difficult race at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday. His No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota had decent speed, but contact with Tyler Reddick in the Final Stage ruined his chances of a good result. Despite the setback, Gibbs managed to recover and finished in 13th place.

However, in the process, Ty Gibbs crossed a milestone he wouldn't be too proud of. He officially became the longest-tenured Joe Gibbs Racing driver without a win in the NASCAR Cup Series. Sunday's Cook Out 400 marked his 79th start for JGR, passing J.J. Yeley’s previous record of 78 starts without a win. In total, Gibbs now has 94 Cup Series starts, including the races he drove as a substitute driver for 23XI Racing in 2022.

Despite this unwanted record, Ty's grandfather and team owner Joe Gibbs has faith that his grandson will soon turn things around for himself. During the post-race press conference, he was asked to speak on Ty, and this is what he shared:

"There’s no secret here; we’re going through a tough time. You know, the start of the year and everything that’s happening to us, there’s not much going our way. And when that happens, I know what I’m studying through all of that, and that is who surrounds us, who’s there with us, who’s working their rear end off at the race shop to try and get us back. Those are the people that I just really, really appreciate."

Mr. Gibbs ended by saying that the team will keep working hard and keep fighting to give Ty his first with Joe Gibbs Racing.