AVONDALE, Ariz.— Joe Gibbs Racing was coming off of a tremendous high from with the 2022 Xfinity Series championship with Ty Gibbs when the unthinkable happened—Gibbs’ father Coy, who just hours earlier was celebrating his son’s achievement in Victory Lane, was found dead in his hotel room a few miles from Phoenix Raceway.
Despite the heartbreak of Joe Gibbs’ loss of a second son just three years and 10 months following the death of JGR president J.D. Gibbs, the Championship 4 show went on with Christopher Bell vying for his first Cup title.
But the shock of losing the 49-year-old co-owner of JGR was still overhanging the garage when the green flag fell on the Cup Series Championship.
“It was tough, it was really, really tough,” said Bell’s crew chief Adam Stevens. “That was a situation that none of us wanted to be in and clearly nobody could have prepped for. The immediate thing was we had Jackson (Gibbs, Coy’s nephew) as a front tire changer. We didn’t know if he was going to be mentally okay or even want to participate.
“It’s one thing to want to do it, but I can’t imagine being able to push that aside and coming up with the focus to do that job. So we had to fight that battle. That was difficult. We had to have contingency plans—on the fly. That took up all of my morning. It was really late before I had the opportunity to talk to my guys. We had the contingency planning going on. Then we were giving Jackson some time and some space, and then management met and talked.
“I didn’t really have anything all morning long until it was time to race. It took a big chunk out of the morning. It was very unfortunate and something I hope we never have to go through again.”
Bell, 29, had never experienced a blow of that magnitude so close to the start of a race—particularly an event as pivotal as a title bout. He finished 10th—the third of four title contenders to cross the line—and really never factored in he race.
“It was certainly the most unique (moment),” Bell said. “I’m sure that will never happen again in my life. It was something that was very—I don’t even know how to describe it—it was very odd and unfortunately and hopefully something I never have to deal with again.”
As unsettling as the day began, Bell credits Stevens with holding the team together.
“Adam was the man,” Bell said. “He’s the man all the time. He’s one of the best in the business, and I’m glad I get to drive for him.”
Stevens expects JGR to reflect on the loss—and then move on to the task at hand, winning the NASCAR Cup championship.
“It affects different people in different ways, but I’m sure we’ll address it and I’m sure Coach will address it in our big team meetings,” Stevens said. “Then we’ll probably let it lay after that. I think Bell does a tremendous job—most drivers do—of having the amount of focus it takes to do that job.
“There’s not much room for anything else in that brain when the helmet goes on. I don’t think it will be a factor at all, but I do think it will be addressed.”
Of the four championship-contending crew chiefs, Stevens was almost jovial when he came into the media center for his final assessment of the No. 20 team’s title hopes before race day. His demeanor was not surprising considering Sunday will mark his seventh appearance in the Championship 4. He won two titles in five years with Kyle Busch. And Stevens is the only crew chief to return to the title bout at Phoenix in the NextGen car.
While some people might be surprised that Bell is making a consecutive appearance in the Championship 4 round, Stevens isn’t one of them.
“I saw it coming, for sure,” Stevens said. “Just the immense amount of talent and skill and dedication he has, it’s hard not to see. In the middle stretch of the summer there, our finishes weren’t matching the speed we had in our cars. We got a little bit further behind in the points and probably gave up some opportunities to race for wins.
“But the speed and all of those things have been there, it’s just a matter of putting those weekends together. The format that we have and the cuts that we make after every three races, man, anything can happen. Anything can happen in a three-race stretch. I think we did a good job of navigating through those first couple of rounds. We had a great race at Vegas (second) and really had a fantastic race at Homestead—with a result (win)—and that’s what you have to do.
Follow Lee Spencer on Twitter @CandiceSpencer or email her at: [email protected].
