Gibbs Teaches By Example

Joe Gibbs has always been a great motivator and mentor whether coaching the Washington Redskins or molding young racers for future stardom. His newest ball of clay is young phenom Joey Lagano, who will be taking over the Home Depot #20 Toyota. He has taken this teenager under his wing as he has done with Tony Stewart and Denny Hamlin. 

Tony has praised Joe for teaching him the business savvy needed to run his dirt track and sprint car teams, and now the biggest undertaking of his career, Stewart Haas Racing. Tony is using JGR as the model to assure his team has the necessary pieces to be competitive right out of the box. 

So, we know Gibbs is a good teacher when it comes to the business end of racing, but what is he teaching these young minds of mush about the art of driving a 3500lb missile. 

Well last Thursday night the fans at the Hampton Coliseum got to witness the driving techniques of Joe Gibbs when he was pitted against Interstate Batteries chairman Norm Miller during the intermission of the indoor Arena Racing USA series. The 6 lap race saw Miller leading from the pole until the final turn when Gibbs dove to the inside for a patented slide job, only to come up a bit short and T-boning Miller, sending the #18 rolling over into the outside wall. 

Now if that 'less than sportsman like move' looks familiar it does. Two nights later at the Toyota All Star Race at Irwindale Speedway, the very impressionable Joey Lagano is performing that very same move on nationwide TV.  The newest member of the Gibbs day care center made a desperate attempt to win the 250 lap Camping World series main event but over shot the final turn spinning race leader Payton Sellers straight into the outside wall. 

It appears Gibbs philosophy of leading by example is leaving an impression with his young toddlers. I think we now know where Denny Hamlin learned to drive like this and it makes you wonder what is in those inspirational speeches to have cultivated thoughts like these  in new team leader Hamlin.