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Welcome to the Cup Scene Daily for
Vol. III,No.VIXII FINAL EDITION
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2003 Season Quotes: “It’s like you’re sitting in a parking lot, a lot of times in the middle of a parking lot. … This parking lot just happens to be going really, really fast.”- Ken Schrader on racing at Talladega Superspeedway 7 DAY ARCHIVE SundayMonday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday INSIDE TODAY'S ISSUE: ESPN will do a docudrama on Earnhardt Waltrip fastest in testing again Childress has sobering trip to Iraq Winning Isn't Everything Jarrett glad to put 2003 in rearview mirror This woman's place is on the track Potential NASCAR drivers, crew compete NASCAR has history of playing with points Bill Davis Racing is gearing up for 2004 Dale's perfect place: Earnhardt's burial site remains a secret Update your Thesaurus Opinion/My Word Letters to the Editor Readers Message Board(NOW OPEN!) Race Shop RACE Tickets Fantasy Garage NEW!
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Happy Birthday: Bobby Hamilton Jr Joe Gibbs is returning to the NFL and the Washington Redskins, but Greg Zipadelli and Jimmy Makar, the men running his NASCAR teams, aren't too concerned. Neither is driver Bobby Labonte who believes Joe Gibbs Racing can remain among the elite NASCAR operations even with his boss returning to the Washington Redskins.
Gibbs signed a five-year contract Wednesday to coach the Redskins, whom he led to three Super Bowl titles before resigning after the 1992 season to concentrate on his fledgling racing operation. Gibbs has been deeply involved in the day-to-day operations of the team since 1993, his second season as a car owner but first without the distraction of football. He quickly applied his organization skills from football to racing, and won the 1993 Daytona 500 - NASCAR's premier event - with driver Dale Jarrett. The team continued its steady progress through the 1990s and won the title in 2000 with Labonte. Although Tony Stewart gave Gibbs a second championship in 2002, the team owner said success in NASCAR was not easily achieved. "Believe me, those Winston Cup championships were hard to win," Gibbs said late last season. "It's just like football, it's people, not Xs and Os. Team chemistry is the hardest thing I've experienced in my professional career. "And you have to have a lot of faith and luck, too, because the competition is so fierce, whether it's football or racing." As much as Gibbs loves stock car racing, football was never far from his thoughts, and he was constantly reminded of his link to the game. On the NASCAR circuit, Gibbs is called "Coach," and Stewart can see why. It's all about organization and motivation. "After working with Joe for a number of years, I know his commitment to winning is unmatched," Stewart said. "He's always been a coach, and football has always been very close to him. "Fans of the Redskins should be very happy." Jarrett's victory at Daytona was the first of 40 for Gibbs, who said Wednesday he remains "personally committed" to his racing operation. Eldest son J.D. is team president and son Coy is working with the team and pursuing a driving career. He finished 14th last season in the Busch series standings. J.D. will continue to run the team from its Charlotte, N.C., headquarters, and the drivers and key personnel and sponsors have long-term deals. "This thing has been running itself pretty well for some time," Makar said of the three-team company that has won two of the past four Winston Cup titles. The team is guided by drivers Tony Stewart and Bobby Labonte, both under long-term contracts with secure sponsorship, and by promising rookie JJ Yeley. Actually, Gibbs' move, by raising the stock-car team's national profile, could make it even easier to attract sponsors. When Gibbs, 63, retired from the NFL with three Super Bowl rings and joined NASCAR, he hired Makar to run things. Since then, Gibbs and Makar have logged 40 tour victories, their first with Dale Jarrett's 1993 Daytona 500 win over Dale Earnhardt. The past few years, Gibbs' son J. D. has handled the business side while Makar ran the teams. Gibbs' return to pro football comes as NASCAR is squaring off against the NFL in the TV arena, with new rules designed to create a more exciting fall championship chase for NBC.
"It won't affect anything here. J. D. has done a great job following in his father's footsteps all these years, and he's learned everything from Joe. "Everyone is excited for Joe. He's certainly not ready to sit down and ride it out the rest of his life; he's ready to get back out there after the big boys again. I don't think he was missing anything, I just think it's another challenge for him. It's an opportunity to do something that's a part of his life." Gibbs flew to Daytona late Tuesday night to tell his men. "I thought we'd bought a new plane, because the Redskins' plane was so big," Stewart said. "I don't think Joe ever gave up 100 percent on coaching," Makar said. "The racing thing has fulfilled a little bit of that competition he has inside, those competitive juices. But it's running itself now. He's not nearly involved as much in the day-to-day operations like he used to be. "This opportunity is something he can sink his teeth into. It's neat to see a guy his age, removed from the coaching business as long as he's been, to get fired up about doing it again." Why? "He didn't really give us any reasons, other than the opportunity was there and it was a challenge," Makar said. Dale Earnhardt Jr. says he's happy to see Gibbs take the job. Earnhardt, like many in North Carolina, is a Redskins fan. "But after I went to the Dallas game this year I swore I'd never go back," Earnhardt said. "There was no hustle at all. I was glad to see Steve Spurrier go to Washington, because I was a fan of his when he was at Florida. He's a super guy. It just didn't work out. Hopefully he goes to (North) Carolina. "I think Joe can turn it around. Everywhere he goes, he knows what he needs, and he gets what he wants, and he puts the right people in the right places." That's certainly what Gibbs did when he signed on with NASCAR. Joe Gibbs Racing has won races and championships and has become one of the premier places to work, setting standards for workplace hours, time off and bonuses. J. D. Gibbs says that his father's move "gives our sponsors added value, in terms of gaining national exposure. I'm thrilled for my mom and my dad, and I feel great about the state of this race team and its future success." NASCAR President Mike Helton was among those to wish Gibbs well. "Joe Gibbs, first and foremost, is a class individual," Helton said. "We respect his decision to return to the Redskins, and we expect he will return that team to the top of the NFL. "We of course wish him well. We still consider him a part of the NASCAR family. Joe built a championship organization. J.D. Gibbs is certainly capable of providing the leadership that will enable that success to continue." Labonte said that Gibbs' move shows the confidence he has in the team's management. "If this were five or seven years ago, he wouldn't do this," Labonte said. "But he feels the timing is right for him to go coach. He's been doing a few things anyway without being there every day. This is a time he can go do this and feel comfortable with it because of the people he's got at the race shop. "He is one hour away by airplane, if he needs to be there. But I don't think he would have done it if he didn't think the team could get on day-to-day without him." |
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