DAVE ALPERN, President, Joe Gibbs Racing:
“The principles are universally attractive. Treat people well. Deliver a great product. Who wouldn’t want to be associated with something like that? I think companies want to be around Coach because he wins. Because he delivers more value than they’re paying him. All those things. And the fact that he’s able to do some good along the way and change some lives.”
“He’s not just talking about his faith. He lives it. It’s a huge part of who he is. No matter what else he’s doing, his grandkids will stop him in his tracks. But it also can be someone who walks up to him at the racetrack and says, ‘Coach, I was at your outreach event and I want to tell you what God is doing in my life.’ He is stopping and listening to that person. Really listening. You can tell that is what fuels him. That is the fabric of who Coach is — his faith.”
NORM MILLER, Chairman of the Board, Interstate Batteries:
“He’s consistent. He doesn’t come across fast. And he doesn’t come across as erratic. He comes across pretty dadgum calm. But he makes a plan and then works toward the plan and analyzes the plan and then he corrects it. And he works it. And he goes steady at that by getting good people and finding out what he needs and what they can deliver. And then he appraises that, talks it over with them, and then rolls it over and goes again. To me, that’s the way you accomplish anything.”
COY GIBBS, Joe Gibbs’ son
“He’s the most driven person I’ve ever been around, for sure, 100%. A lot of stuff, you sit back and say: This doesn’t make any sense. And somehow, he makes it happen.
Even at his age, he’ll outwork 99.999% of the people. And it’s that work that makes it happen most of the time.”
RICK HENDRICK, Owner, Hendrick Motorsports
“When you compete against somebody, sometimes it’s so competitive that you don’t want to be really close to them. But we have a friendship and a bond that goes way beyond racing. I think a lot of that is just, on my side, how much I admire him, the man. He’s a great human being.”
— Compiled by Bill King
