A few names have shaped modern NASCAR as much as Joe Gibbs. For decades, Gibbs has been the glue that has been holding JGR together, but what will happen when he decides to step back from the sport? Speculation about that inevitable move has intermittently taken place in the media this year.

At 85, Gibbs is going strong, but retirement could be looming not so far away. JGR co-owner Heather Gibbs, his daughter-in-law, has now given an insight into what the team’s future could look like.

In an appearance on Kelley Earnhardt’s "Business of Motorsports," a "Dale Jr Download" Series, she spoke about her decision to get more involved in the organization and how they intend to keep it as a family business after Gibbs' retirement.

"Well, I think for me, the most important thing was that no one will take better care of my family than myself. And I saw that, and I remember early on, you know, Ty asking me like, what's going to happen to us? Like, what's going to happen? And it's Uncle JD, now it's Dad, and I was like, you know, we have an outstanding leadership group, but it's still not like I could never just say, okay, yeah, go ahead and take it over."

She further added how it was important to her that the business was looked after by the Gibbs family after the losses of her husband, Coy Gibbs, and her brother-in-law, J.D. Gibbs, who helped in establishing the company and took over executive roles.

"It was so important that a family member (looks after the business), and it's still your name, it's still your reputation, and for Joe, I mean, I feel you know he had his two boys, and now he's got, you know, his daughter-in-law, right? And I get that, and I respect that. I think he's been so gracious and allowing me to be a part of it," Mrs. Gibbs added.

Despite securing the leadership role in the family business, Heather Gibbs never took it for granted. She emphasized that she wanted to 'earn' the respect of the employees.

While the leadership front is evolving, with Mrs. Gibbs taking a more central role, so is the drivers' front.

Heather Gibbs discusses Denny Hamlin's NASCAR future with JGR

Denny Hamlin has spoken about retiring from NASCAR after the 2027 season on multiple occasions this year. However, Heather Gibbs doesn't want to let the three-time Daytona 500 winner leave if he keeps churning out podiums and wins, as he is this season.

At Pocono, after Hamlin took his third consecutive win of the season and fourth overall, Gibbs spoke about his contract in the post-race press conference. When asked about retaining him post-2027, she said (via ASAP Sports):

"At this rate, what he’s producing out there, it’s not something you would not consider. We want the best drivers in our cars. Our teams work to put the best cars on track. If it works out and he’s still producing and he wants to, it’s a huge commitment for him. He’s got his own team (23XI Racing) that he kind of wants to run. It’s hard when you dangle checkered flags in front of him, too."

After 18 races, Denny Hamlin leads the Cup Series Championship by one point over Tyler Reddick in second. As NASCAR heads to Chicagoland this weekend, the battle for the top is truly on.

Written by

Chionia Libania Colaco

Edited by

Yash Kotak