“Fans Would Boo”: Joe Gibbs Explains How NASCAR is Unique When It Comes to Drivers Getting Support from the Fans

Joe Gibbs is one of the most measured team owners in NASCAR.

You rarely see him lose his cool; his temperament and verbiage while speaking to the media are cool as ice, and he doesn’t like to be part of controversy or anything negative.

But at the same time, the patriarch of Joe Gibbs Racing likes to see drivers not only display their personality on the racetrack, but also their passion.

So if that means a driver may be construed as, say, a villain, so be it. And Gibbs has had several of those during his three-plus decades as a NASCAR owner, including Tony Stewart, Kyle Busch, and Denny Hamlin.

When Gibbs was asked if NASCAR needs drivers who are not robotic or don’t mind being themselves on a recent episode of SpeedFreaks, he concurred.

“I think each one of the drivers, it’s their personality that comes out, it really is,” Gibbs said. “And we’ve got some that fans would boo, and obviously (there’s) those fans for the very same driver, will cheer.

“One time I was asked (about) one of the most popular drivers we had at that point, and the crew chief asked me, ‘How come some people boo him?’ And I said, ‘Hey, listen, the most fans you’re going to get in NASCAR would be the most popular driver, maybe 15 or 20 percent (of overall NASCAR fans). The other 80 (percent) are going to boo him.

“But I think the great thing about our sport is that’s the driver that the fans are on one side or the other. You have the race teams themselves, you’ve got people pulling for Hendrick and Penske, and hopefully some for us. Then you’ve got Ford, Chevy, and Toyota, so pick your choice.

“I think that’s exciting, too, because we’re all competing. The manufacturers are competing. Certainly, we are as owners, and certainly are the drivers.”

One of the biggest examples of a NASCAR driver’s personality shining through in the sport came in the form of Kyle Busch during his time at JGR. Coach Gibbs was the driving force behind allowing Kyle to remain true to himself while bringing in results on the track.

Ever since Busch’s switch to Richard Childress Racing, the mantle has been seemingly passed on to Denny Hamlin. The #11 driver currently does not shy away from the occassional leg pulling with the crowd, often meeting with boos during driver intros or when he manages to win a race.

Such is the nature of the beast in NASCAR, with the passionate fan base always making their feelings known in the sport.