Gibbs and Nascar.

What exactly did he do? At one point I heard him say "I don't know anything about cars." While I'm sure that's an understatement, I'm just curious besides being the owner what he did? Was he mainly a Daniel Snyder type who got endorsements, drivers, crew guys? What was his job?

Just curious.

Once on ESPN they did a piece about how Gibbs installed a training regimen for his NASCAR teams that made them more efficient than other teams. It especially made the pit crews faster.

Here's some more on that (courtesy of http://www.stockcarracing.com/howto/1580/)

"It only makes sense, that if we come in and do five pit stops during a three-hour race, if we hold a position, gain a position, gain a position, hold a position, by the end of the day, chances are we'll be vying for the lead." Former Washington Redskins head coach and Super Bowl winner Joe Gibbs not only wants to "hold his position," he has worked to improve his race team's track positions dramatically. When the NFL's Carolina Panthers hired a new coaching staff and purchased new weight training equipment, Gibbs got a deal on some "gently-used" machines and hired Paul Alepa, one of the Panthers' trainers, to work with the No. 18 Interstate Batteries and No. 20 Home Depot pit crews and develop personal training programs for Tony Stewart and Bobby Labonte.

"I've always been amazed that everything that happened to me in football, everything you use in football, you use over here," Gibbs says. "We have a personal trainer that comes three times a week. We built a new facility with a weight room that has all the latest and greatest in weight equipment." Alepa, 26, a friend of Gibbs' son, Coy, who works with the Panthers, oversees the team's physical conditioning. "I started at the end of February and now I'd say the team works out an hour to an hour-and-a-half twice a week," Alepa says. "At 5:15, they're ready to go. We start with some quick foot stuff to make them faster around the car. We stretch and do weight lifting while trying to have fun and improve their speed and getting the technique down correctly. They do all the work, I just point them in the right direction. "Joe realized that the one variable he could control during the race were the pit stops. Yesterday we discussed what our goal should be. The guys on the 18 team had a 16.8-second pit stop on Sunday (at Dover, when they won the MBNA 400). I think we can get it down around a 16-flat. That may be pushing it, but this sport is all about striving for goals."

The final, and most integral, part of Gibbs' pit stop game plan is Jeff Chandler, who coordinates the overall pit crew effort at Joe Gibbs Racing. "We've got somebody who is the coach of the pit stops and that's Jeff Chandler," says Gibbs. "It's his job to organize the pit stops, to film the pit stops, to study the pit stops, to make the corrections and hire the replacements. It's completely his responsibility."

Not only does Chandler oversee the crew and the training involved to mold these individuals, but he follows a regular weekly routine to ensure that nothing goes amiss on race day. "It all starts Monday morning when we get the film from Sunday's race and break it down like a football team or a basketball team would break down film," Chandler says. "Each individual person gets critiqued and then we look and see if there is any area where we could maybe pick up a tenth or two to make him a little better. Then I get the reports together and by Monday afternoon I'm ready to tell the guys what they can do to pick up time before the personal trainer comes that night.

"When we get to the race track, things actually get easier because all the preparation to the equipment has already been done. It's one person's responsibility to take care of the guns, the jacks, and the pit box and make sure all that's ready. So our teamwork is done Monday through Thursday and we put it all together on Sundays. "Felix Sabates may have been the first NASCAR owner to spend a lot of money to get a personal trainer and a gym set up, but he has never understood that this is a people sport. He always thought you could replace people and that would fix it. Joe Gibbs puts a lot of stock in his people. Race cars come and go, but people win races. If you invest a lot of effort into a person, you'll get a lot in return, and that's where Joe is a much better car owner than a lot of guys."

Gibbs' management style eases the everyday stress on his teams, but nothing can totally relieve the amount of pressure the crew puts on themselves. "There's a whole lot of pressure, but we put all the pressure on ourselves," says Peter Gellen, who drives the transporter for the No. 18 and functions as the gasman on Sunday. "When Bobby's out there driving his guts out for us, and he's relying on us to help him, if we screw up in the pits, he's going to go further back in the pack and have to work harder to get back where he was. If we can get him out where he was or better, it helps build his confidence on the track and increases his probability of winning."

He also really helped flesh out the idea of using a team concept. The crews for all his drivers work together to increase speed and gain advantages. As mecurial as Stewart is you never see him and Labonte going at it because Gibbs instilled a team ideal. I know a lot of people credit Gibbs with perfecting this if not outright inventing the whole concept.

He was basically the GM of the race team if I understand it correctly.

Daseal, that really isn't an understatement...Gibbs has surrounded himself with car people to make his race teams go. He doesn't need to know how cars work to successfully manage a quality race team...as long as he has people who do.

As Matty stated, he's basically the GM/President of the team, with people who report to him.

That is the one thing I like about his teams...they are more helpful to other teammates than most.

Gibbs did something that no other team owner, GM, Race Team has ever done in the history of NASCAR. Gibbs created a race team & hired drivers, crews & whatever else he had to hire & succeeded now, not years down the road.

I would like to see Gibbs cut the cord on Labonte & hire a new young driver. Labonte was great but his days are long gone & he's better off driving for an old timer owner who will allow Labonte to drive off into the sunset.

Stewart is the hottest driver today despite not winning any races this season. Tony continues to compete & get his name mentioned in every race whether it's good or bad. Tony is the heir to Dale Ernhardt, not by choice, but because he's hot headed & drives like it too.

Gibbs is intelligent, surrounds himself with good people and SUCCESSFUL be it football or Nascar.........

The thing I'm curious about is why he gets a "bad boy" driver like Stewart......I know Gibbs put up with the quirkiness of Riggo, Manley, and Clark.........but Stewart definitely NOT Gibb's M.O............

I don't know jack about NASCAR so it's interesting to hear about his role and involvement with it.

As I said in another thread, Gibbs is one of those guys that would be successful in almost anything, whether it's a football coach, running a NASCAR team, CEO of a business, etc. He knows how to lead and motivate, how to surround himself with quality people he can trust, and he has an incredible work ethic.

Has anyone read his book?

Gibbs is intelligent, surrounds himself with good people and SUCCESSFUL be it football or Nascar.........

The thing I'm curious about is why he gets a "bad boy" driver like Stewart......I know Gibbs put up with the quirkiness of Riggo, Manley, and Clark.........but Stewart definitely NOT Gibb's M.O............
Tony Stewart can win a race in anything you put him in, which makes him easy to deal with.

I liken Tony Stewart to Dexter. Both had problems, but both were really nice, sincere guys.

I don't know jack about NASCAR so it's interesting to hear about his role and involvement with it.

As I said in another thread, Gibbs is one of those guys that would be successful in almost anything, whether it's a football coach, running a NASCAR team, CEO of a business, etc. He knows how to lead and motivate, how to surround himself with quality people he can trust, and he has an incredible work ethic.

Has anyone read his book?

Matty are you talking about "Racing to Win"? I bought the book, but haven't had a chance to read it yet.........But I did read his book "Fourth and One".....
very insightful, and it talked about Gibbs having to file bankruptcy because he gave an investor full power of attorney because he was totally immersed in the Redskins, sleeping at Redskin Park etc, but this investor lost Gibb's money. It also talked about his wife having a stroke. Even with all his fame and fortune he did go through some rough times in his life.