Apr 12, 2026; Bristol, Tennessee, USA; Car owner Joe Gibbs walks to victory lane after his grandson Joe Gibbs Racing driver Ty Gibbs (54) won the race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-Imagn Images
Apr 12, 2026; Bristol, Tennessee, USA; Car owner Joe Gibbs walks to victory lane after his grandson Joe Gibbs Racing driver Ty Gibbs (54) won the race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-Imagn Images
Coy Gibbs' death on November 6, 2022, brought a deep state of shock for the Gibbs family and the entire NASCAR fraternity. He was 49 at the time of his passing and left behind his wife, kids, and family. His widow, Heather Gibbs, received enormous support from her in-laws, especially from father-in-law Joe Gibbs.
She recently sat down to discuss her life, the sport, and the Gibbs family on the "Business of Motorsport" podcast hosted by Kelly Earnhardt. When she was asked to shed light on her life after her husband's demise, she admitted to having received enormous support from her father-in-law, Joe Gibbs, and mother-in-law, Patricia Gibbs.
"He (Joe) and Pat (Patricia) have been like a rock of foundation for Melissa (wife of JD Gibbs) and I to know. We're the daughters-in-law. We, you know, they don't have to care about us anymore, and yet they still do," Heather said.
HAMPTON, GA - SEPTEMBER 07: Team Owner Joe Gibbs during qualifications for the Quaker State 400 NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Cup Series race on September 7, 2024 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Georgia. Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire AUTO: SEP 07 NASCAR Cup Series Quaker State 400 available at Walmart EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon953240907074
HAMPTON, GA - SEPTEMBER 07: Team Owner Joe Gibbs during qualifications for the Quaker State 400 NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Cup Series race on September 7, 2024 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Georgia. Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire AUTO: SEP 07 NASCAR Cup Series Quaker State 400 available at Walmart EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon953240907074
Following this, she described how Joe Gibbs is as a person on and off the track.
"He's the greatest. He's a peacemaker. Definitely, he's a huge, he will outgrind, outwork anybody, and if there's something, he would take a shirt off and give it to anybody. He wants to help everyone. He loves people that come up and talk to him," Heather Gibbs added.
The Gibbs family went through turbulent times from 2019 to 2022. Joe Gibbs' son, J.D. Gibbs, who served as the co-founder and co-chairman of JGR, passed away at his home in Davidson, North Carolina, from degenerative neurological disease.
Three years later, his younger brother, Coy Gibbs, passed away in his sleep. That loss still deeply affects his wife, Heather Gibbs, who couldn't help but remember him emotionally this year after their son Ty Gibbs won his first NASCAR Cup Series race.
Heather Gibbs left emotional after Ty Gibbs' race win
Ty Gibbs emerged as the winner at the Bristol Cup Series race in April. This was his first victory in the top tier of stock car racing in his 131st Cup start over five years. As a result, the Gibbs family was emotional.
Among them was Heather Gibbs, who missed her late husband in that moment. Sharing an anecdote from that day, she said in the same podcast:
"I was up there for a while, just wishing so bad, being so proud of Ty, but wishing so badly that Coy was there," Mrs Gibbs said. "It was just kind of the happiest and the saddest, and that emotion just was overwhelming."
Coy Gibbs was not only the father of Ty Gibbs but also his mentor throughout his entire racing career. His passing only hours after Ty Gibbs' Xfinity Series win in 2022 is still one of the most heartbreaking incidents in the NASCAR community.
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Written by
Sabyasachi Biswas
Edited by
Yash Kotak