Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) is one of NASCAR’s top teams with a driver line-up that includes stars like Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. But it’s not just the team’s drivers who are now popular across the motorsports world. Dave Alpern, the team president, has become a famous influencer on TikTok, thanks to an initiative from his social media team.
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In 2020, JGR’s chief digital officer and the social media team created the idea of putting up short videos on TikTok to explain the multiple facets of JGR’s business in NASCAR. When they chose Alpern to be the face of the series, he was a bit reluctant at first. But he eventually gave in and the posts began rolling in 2022.
“I thought it was a sign that the apocalypse was upon us,” Alpern said to The Athletic in a recent interview. “I was like, ‘I’m kind of an old guy. Who’s going to care about this stuff?’ And so other than the embarrassment of thinking no one would watch it, I was happy to do it.”
Spread across five categories, the videos are explainers on topics that are the core of JGR’s functioning. They involve multiple personalities from within the team’s operation and detail their roles and purpose. This means providing insight into pit crew members, hauler drivers, race shop employees, etc. The series tunes up on the team’s @racecarbiz account and has more than 200,000 views to date.
One of the most popular videos from Alpern and team with 92,000 views, spoke about why the JGR headquarters in Huntersville lacked a signboard for the first 10 years of its operation. Noting the interest that such topics pique in him, Alpern said, “It’s fun to talk about our sport. It’s a good way to expose people to the sport. They’re just really fun to do.”
Dave Alpern’s three-decade journey with Joe Gibbs Racing in NASCAR
Alpern entered the gates of Joe Gibbs Racing in 1993, a year after it was founded. Starting from the position of an unpaid intern, he juggled every possible front-office role with the organization in his initial years. He went from overseeing consumer products, communications, and sponsorship before being named the president.
Currently, he is one of the longest-tenured motorsports executives in the world. His position with the team has led to him working with the top names in global companies like Coca-Cola, Toyota, and FedEx. He has been a guest at the White House four times – each after JGR won a Cup Series championship.
Alpern is also a published author. His book, Taking The Lead, was released in 2021.
