No matter if you are a diehard fan of, or absolutely cannot stand Ty Gibbs, there is absolutely one thing you cannot deny: He has an immense amount of talent behind the wheel of a race car, PERIOD. I have never been the biggest fan of the JGR organization, but I respect the heck out of them because they get it done on the racetrack, in Xfinity and Cup series both.
Yesterday, they got it done again in the Xfinity Series in willing their second straight Xfinity championship as a team, this time with Ty Gibbs. Many thought he wouldn’t get it done because it was basically 3 JRM cars against him, and plus after his dust up at Martinsville last week, he virtually had a target on the back of his #54 Supra. Gotta give him credit, he stepped up in the face of adversity and won the war, as I like to say.
Now it was time to turn focus to his duties as fill in for Kurt Busch at 23XI in cup. But then it came onto social media like a wildfire that He would be out today due to an unexpected family emergency. For hours, many including myself wondered what was going on, because the silence from the Gibbs team and family was absolutely deafening. Speculation was absolutely rampid. I would say around noon drivers were sending messages of prayers, thoughts and condolences to JGR and Ty Gibbs. Then about 1:30 it happened, confirmation of the situation: Ty’s father, Coy Gibbs, unexpectedly passed away in his sleep overnight. There are two reasons I am writing this…..
First reason is this: No matter how much you are a fan of, or dislike him, personally I feel for Ty right now. To go from one step below the top of the stock car mountain as a NASCAR champion, to losing your dad unexpectedly within a 24 hour window has to be a gut punch like none other. Even though many in this world have dealt with this similar situation, NOT ONE single soul deserves to have to deal with it. With how much the Gibbs family shares and displays their faith, it will get them through this tragic situation and make it a little easier, because they can have full solace that they will see Coy again.
Here is reason number two: For Coach and his wife Mrs. Pat, I ache with them tremendously. Let me be very clear, VERY CLEAR, on something: I ache for Ty a huge amount because the kid lost his Dad one night after winning a championship, But for Coach and Mrs. Pat, I ache for them on another level because we unfortunately share a common theme: losing a child. They have now lost two, Coy and JD, in THREE years. Honestly that is unfathomable and very unfortunate. Kyle Petty said it best today on the NBC broadcast: ” It is an unfortunate club that you DO NOT want to be a part of.” When I heard those words, I won’t lie, I got misty eyed. When I lost my son Blaine in 2018, It was a gut punch unlike anything I have ever experienced. It put me and my wife Starlit in a very dark place for a long time. A former coworker of mine, Jesse Reaves said these words to me, and they couldn’t be anymore true: ” You aren’t supposed to lay your kids to rest before it’s your time to go.” He was fortunate to have 49 years with JD, and 49 years with Coy, where as I unfortunately didn’t get any time with my son due to stillbirth, at 39 weeks. Coach Gibbs has had a hard time in this category since 2019 when he first lost JD. Now he has lost Coy. I will say this, I have looked at Coach as a role model on how to hold onto your faith in tough times of loss, because as I said earlier, we share an unfortunate bond. He is one person that has held himself immensely well in the face of tragedy, and there is no doubt he will do it again.
Ty: Hold your head high, hang onto the faith that your family shows and publicly exemplifies on a daily basis and the good Lord will see you through it step by step. Your Dad will be right there in the car with you every lap from here on out.
Coach: Prayers to you and your wife on having to deal with this again. It isn’t fair for you to have to lay to rest another son. But as it is said within the Christian faith: God hands the toughest battles to the toughest soldiers.
God can take anyone from the top of the mountain to the lowest part of the valley in the blink of an eye. Many have experienced it in life, but one thing is for sure: Stronger faith and stronger people always come out of tough situations.
Godspeed Coy Gibbs.