Loss has a way of cutting through every layer of success, and few figures in NASCAR have felt that weight more deeply than Joe Gibbs. He endured a parent’s worst nightmare, the loss of a son, a pain that changed their lives beyond the racetrack. That grief cut even closer to the bone because his son, J.D. Gibbs, stood at the heart of Joe Gibbs Racing, first as president and later as co-chairman. J.D. carried responsibility, vision, and influence, including identifying and recruiting Denny Hamlin to drive the No. 11 car.
Advertisement
In January 2019, Joe Gibbs Racing announced J.D.’s passing, citing complications following a long battle with a degenerative neurological disease. Treatments had addressed symptoms that affected key areas of brain function, and the long road of illness took a visible toll. That part did more than alter the team’s structure. It changed Joe Gibbs himself, shifting his perspective in ways no championship ever could.
Speaking in a recent video conversation with Kyle Petty, Gibbs described the impact, saying, “To have everything happen with J.D. and to go through that with him. Yeah, I don’t think you can’t even put it in words. It’s changed me for sure. It changed all of us that are around him family-wise. When you have a loss like that that you and I have experienced, I think it just gives me more of a feeling.”
Before J.D.’s passing, Gibbs poured his energy into faith and leadership, publishing a guide called “Game Plan for Life”. After losing his son, he released “Game Plan for Loss”.
Yet, even then, Gibbs acknowledged that he never truly had a blueprint for loss. The title was just an attempt to navigate grief without a map.
Gibbs continues to draw lessons from his son’s life. One quality stands above the rest. J.D. possessed a rare ability to connect on a personal level, to seek people out in quiet moments and let them know they mattered. Gibbs has spoken about wanting to carry that trait forward, recognizing it as an area where his son led by example.
He said, “He really did so much more of that than I do.”
Today, Gibbs balances leadership and legacy. He still guides the team his sons helped build, keeping their vision alive inside the garage. At the same time, he finds his greatest joy away from the spotlight, watching his grandchildren grow.
