Coy Gibbs, Joe Gibbs Racing executive, dies hours after son wins Xfinity Series championship
AVONDALE, ARIZONA - NOVEMBER 05: Ty Gibbs, driver of the #54 Monster Energy Toyota, celebrates with his father, Coy Gibbs and mother, Heather Gibbs in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship at Phoenix Raceway on November 05
Coy Gibbs, the vice chairman of NASCAR’s Joe Gibbs Racing, has died, the race team announced Sunday afternoon hours before the Cup Series’ championship race was set to begin. He was 49.
Gibbs’ son, Ty, won the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship on Saturday night. He was set to race for Kurt Busch in the Cup Series finale but was removed due to a family emergency. Hours later, the team revealed Coy Gibbs died.
AVONDALE, ARIZONA - NOVEMBER 05: Ty Gibbs, driver of the #54 Monster Energy Toyota, poses with his grandfather, JGR team owner and Hall of Famer Joe Gibbs, his father, Coy Gibbs and mother, Heather Gibbs after winning the NASCAR Xfinity Series Champi
"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," the race team tweeted.
After Ty Gibbs won at Phoenix, Coy Gibbs talked to reporters about the win. He was the vice chairman at Joe Gibbs Racing.
"When you start this day, you just want to get it over with, you just want to get past it," he said. "I think he's just doubled down and did his job after making a huge mistake last week. It was fun to watch."
Coy Gibbs is the son of Joe Gibbs, the former NFL coach who started Joe Gibbs Racing in 1991. Coy Gibbs also served as an assistant coach for the Washington NFL team from 2004 to 2007 under his father. He played linebacker at Stanford from 1991 to 1994.
He ran in the Truck Series in 2001 and in the Xfinity Series in 2003. He finished with 21 top-10 finishes in the Truck Series and two top 10s in the Xfinity Series.
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