JGR Co-Founder J.D. Gibbs Dies At 49
HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. – Joe Gibbs Racing officials confirmed Friday night that team co-founder and co-chairman J.D. Gibbs has died at the age of 49 from complications following a long battle with a degenerative neurological disease.
Gibbs was the eldest son of three-time Super Bowl-winning coach and multi-time NASCAR champion team owner Joe Gibbs, first serving as a tire changer on his father’s team in 1993, the year that JGR won its first Daytona 500 with driver Dale Jarrett.
He spent time as a driver in his own right, making five NASCAR Xfinity Series starts and eight NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series starts between 1998 and 2002, but he was best known for his business role within the motorsports team his father began.
J.D. Gibbs became president of Joe Gibbs Racing in 1998, holding that role and guiding the organization through March of 2015, when the Gibbs family revealed that J.D. was battling brain-function problems and that doctors had no clear answer for his struggles.
In addition to his father Joe, those that Gibbs is survived by include wife Melissa and sons Joe Jackson, William Miller, Jason Dean II and Zachary Taylor, as well as brother Coy, nephews Ty, Case and Jet and niece Elle.
Additional information regarding details for a memorial service will follow at a later date.
HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. – Kyros Entertainment will be on board with Cory Joyce when the 21-year-old makes his second career NASCAR K&N Pro Series East start in the UNOH Battle at the Beach at Daytona International Speedway on February 18.
Second Chance at Iowa… Cale Gale and the No. 33 Rheem team had a fast Chevrolet and a strong run during their last trip to Iowa Speedway, but late-race contact resulted in a 26th-place finish for the Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender. After practicing inside the top 10 and qualifying sixth, Gale maintained his position near the front of the field. Gale was racing in the seventh position on lap 182 when he and another competitor made contact as a result of tight racing coming off a restart. The incident ended the night for both drivers as they emerged from their cockpits. After spending the entire race in the top 12, Gale was credited with a 26th-place finish in the American Ethanol 200 at Iowa Speedway.
Justin Lofton and the No. 6 Lofton Cattle team will return to Iowa Speedway after finishing fifth in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) race at the 0.875-mile speedway just two months ago. Lofton rolled off third in the American Ethanol 200 and spent the majority of the evening racing inside the top five as the Lofton Cattle team utilized caution periods to fine-tune the handling of their Chevrolet. Racing in a three-wide pack with just over 30 laps to go, Lofton was forced off the throttle and lost a few positions as a result. However, the championship contender methodically hunted down his competition and raced through the field to score a fifth-place finish in just his third NCWTS start at Iowa Speedway.
No. 33 Ruud Chevrolet News and Notes
Cale Gale and the No. 33 Rheem team had a day full of ups and downs on Wednesday at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway (“World’s Fastest Half-Mile”). The Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender nabbed his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) pole to lead the field to the green, but finished the race with a trip to the infield care center after making hard contact with the inside wall with just seven laps remaining.
Taking on the Truck Series at Michigan International Speedway… Cale Gale will make his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) debut at Michigan International Speedway on Saturday afternoon, August 18. The Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender currently has two NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) and two Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) Racing Series starts at the two-mile oval. Most recently, Gale competed in the ARCA Racing Series event at Michigan International Speedway in July 2011. After starting from the pole, the Mobile, Ala. native led 64 laps but suffered a flat tire with four laps remaining in the 100-lap event relegating him to a 19th-place finish.
MOORESVILLE, NC– Brad Keselowski Racing (BKR) announced today that third-generation race car driver Ryan Blaney will pilot the BKR Cooper Standard / Draw-Tite / Reese Towpower entry in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series for select races in 2012. Blaney’s first race with BKR will be at Bristol Motor Speedway on August 22nd and he will compete in other select races during the duration of the 2012 Truck Series schedule as the BKR team pursues the Owners Championship. As previously announced, Brad Keselowski will drive the No. 29 BKR Cooper Standard RAM in the VFW 200 at Michigan International Speedway on August 18th.
Mooresville, N.C. (August 9, 2012) – Red Horse Racing announced Thursday morning the addition of Parker Kligerman to the organization’s driver lineup. Kligerman will make his first appearance in the No. 7 Red Horse Racing Toyota Tundra next Saturday at Michigan International Speedway for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series VFW 200.