JGR co-owner Coy Gibbs dies after son wins title

Coy Gibbs, the vice president of Joe Gibbs Racing for his NFL and NASCAR Hall of Fame father, died Sunday greeting conscionable hours aft his lad won the Xfinity Series championship. He was 49.

"It is with large sorrow that Joe Gibbs Racing confirms that Coy Gibbs (co-owner) went to beryllium with the Lord successful his slumber past night," the squad said successful a connection released soon earlier the commencement of the NASCAR play finale. "The household appreciates each the thoughts and prayers and asks for privateness astatine this time."

Joe Gibbs has mislaid some of his sons. J.D. Gibbs died successful 2019 of degenerative neurological disease; helium was besides 49 astatine the clip of his death. Coy Gibbs succeeded his older member arsenic vice president of the family-run NASCAR organization.

"We are heartbroken by the tragic nonaccomplishment of Coy Gibbs," NASCAR president and CEO Jim France said. "On behalf of the France Family and each of NASCAR, I widen my deepest condolences to Joe, Pat, Heather, the Gibbs household and everyone astatine Joe Gibbs Racing connected the nonaccomplishment of Coy, a existent person and racer."

NASCAR held a infinitesimal of soundlessness for Coy Gibbs earlier the commencement of the Cup title Sunday astatine Phoenix Raceway, wherever JGR's Christopher Bell was racing for the title. JGR picked up each 4 of its unit chiefs successful play carts and drove them to a gathering successful the motorhome batch 2 hours earlier the commencement of the race.

"Today we volition bash what we don't privation to do, but we volition unite arsenic a household and contention for the sanction connected our chest," JGR operator Denny Hamlin tweeted.

Today we volition bash what we don't privation to do, but we we volition unite arsenic a household and contention for the sanction connected our chest. @JoeGibbsRacing

Ty Gibbs had been scheduled to thrust the No. 23 for 23XI Racing but was replaced by Daniel Hemric for what 23XI called "a household emergency."

Coy Gibbs had conscionable closed a tumultuous week with his 20-year-old son, who won the Xfinity rubric Saturday and is soon expected to beryllium named Kyle Busch's replacement astatine JGR.

But Ty Gibbs has been criticized this twelvemonth for assertive driving and past week wrecked teammate Brandon Jones retired of the pb astatine Martinsville Speedway connected the last lap. Jones needed to triumph the contention to marque the Xfinity championship, and JGR and Toyota would person had 2 cars successful the finale had Gibbs conscionable stayed successful second.

On Saturday, soon earlier Ty Gibbs won his title, Hamlin said it had been a hard week astatine JGR. He had tweeted aft Ty Gibbs crashed Jones "I miss J.D." and explained helium was referring to the ambiance astatine JGR established by J.D. Gibbs, which helium called a "tight household unit."

"We truly person to dainty them similar they're our member and our family, and I deliberation astatine times astatine JGR, we astir apt enactment with each different the slightest magnitude of immoderate different team, and that's conscionable the facts," Hamlin said. "I'm not saying it's anyone's responsibility currently, but J.D. was conscionable antithetic due to the fact that helium truly wrapped his arms astir everyone. I told Coy, 'J.D. was my dad.' He was truly my dada arsenic soon arsenic I came into the series, truthful erstwhile you suffer that, it changes the civilization a small bit, and we conscionable person to get it back."

Joe Gibbs and Coy Gibbs spent the ensuing days defending their young driver, who was resoundingly booed astatine Martinsville and Phoenix aft his back-to-back victories. Ty Gibbs made his ain humbling apology circuit earlier holding disconnected Noah Gragson for the championship.

"Prayers to the Gibbs family," tweeted Gragson, who had unfastened animosity toward Ty Gibbs astir of the Xfinity play earlier congratulating him pursuing Saturday's rubric win.

During Saturday's postrace quality conference, the past clip that Coy Gibbs was seen publicly, helium addressed the trouble of the days starring up to his son's title clincher.

"It's decidedly been a pugnacious week for sure," Coy Gibbs said. "When you commencement this day, I'm benignant of like, I conscionable privation to get this time implicit with. That was my mindset, due to the fact that I privation to determination connected and get past it. I've been done this earlier successful aggregate sports. Ty hasn't. So it was much watching him and seeing however he's going to respond during the day. I deliberation he's conscionable doubled down and did his occupation aft making a immense mistake past week. It was amusive to ticker that."

Coy Gibbs played linebacker astatine Stanford from 1991 to 1994 and served arsenic an violative prime power adjunct during his father's 2nd stint arsenic the Washington NFL coach. Gibbs had a abbreviated racing career, including 2 years successful the then-NASCAR Busch Series and 3 successful the Trucks Series earlier helping his begetter motorboat Joe Gibbs Racing Motocross successful 2007.

He was calved successful Fayetteville, Arkansas, and lived successful Cornelius, North Carolina, with his woman Heather and 4 children.

ESPN's Ryan McGee and The Associated Press contributed to this report.