NASCAR CUP SERIES: FIREKEEPERS CASINO 400

June 7, 2026

Joe Gibbs

Press Conference

An Interview with:

THE MODERATOR: We'll roll right into our next availability. We're now joined by Coach Gibbs, the winning ownership representation for tonight.

Q. Just first of all, Christopher had a really terrible hit that was very scary. I know you went in there and saw him. Can you tell us anything about how he's doing?

JOE GIBBS: I think it's just we're going to continue tonight when he gets home. We're going to make sure that he gets everything that he needs to get there, whatever it might be. Then we'll just have to kind of wait.

It's his wrist and his ankle, I think. So we're just going to have to wait.

Q. Denny has had so many wins at times where it slipped away. He's been the dominant car, and it hasn't worked out. Now two weeks in a row, he's gone first to worst, back to first. What does it say about his resilience that he's been able to do this at this point in his career?

JOE GIBBS: I think all of us here, I know you guys and all of us, we know how tough NASCAR is. We know this is the best people in the world racing stock cars, and we've seen Denny now, I think -- this point in his career, I think this might be the most exceptional thing he's done because, when you think about most athletes, they get to a point where they have everything they need, and they just lose the drive and passion.

What we're witnessing with Denny is really just the opposite of that. He's full-blown into the simulator, works extremely hard. And our meetings, he means so much to the other young drivers, just hearing him describe what happens during the race, the way he looks at things. So for us it's invaluable really.

For us to have this relationship for this long, I just really appreciate him. He's been so loyal to us, and he's really helped build what we have. Our people there at our race team have built Joe Gibbs Racing. We've got great people, and I just appreciate them, and I wish they could all be here with us.

We hang a banner tomorrow. We'll have a chance to thank all of them. But really this is not only our people and the people that are racing the cars and what's happening on the racetrack, but it's also our sponsors, and National Debt Relief, that just means so much to a company like that, one of the premier companies in America.

I had a chance to call Mari from Progressive, and that means so much to a race team because our sport's different. You've got to have sponsor partners or you can't race.

Q. Coach, could you describe what it means to you emotionally to get that 63rd win, tying Kyle Busch, having the flag prepared, and seeing Denny do his burnout with that?

JOE GIBBS: Well, we've all, all of us, have just focused on Kyle Busch and what he's meant to the sport. Certainly for us, 15 years, 59 wins, I mean, again I talked about building our race team. He was a key part of doing that. So just really appreciate him.

I think Denny -- and then also what Kyle did to Denny. Many times you almost laugh in our 2:00 meeting because they were going to go after each other at times. But it just meant so much, Kyle, the way he approached everything. Like I said, there's a different side of Kyle we all loved too.

I mentioned we do these crazy skits. He was number one wanting to be in the skits. My favorite one, he was sitting out on the lawn with the young drivers, and he was doing anger management with the young drivers, stuff like that. He was all in. You saw him singing in the car.

The other thing, he was really good with our sponsors. Think about Mars being with us 15 years. That says a lot about Kyle. Kyle touched all of us really, and I think we're still celebrating his life. And we want to focus on Sam, Kurt, and the kids, Brexton and Lennix, Gaye and Tom, just the whole family.

Q. Kind of a follow-up to that question and answer, when you guys go to celebrate this win this week, whichever day you guys do that, will this one look a little different? Will you guys have something that attributes to Kyle in addition to celebrating the 11 team?

JOE GIBBS: I think we'll just be talking all that over -- we normally have our celebration tomorrow, and in the morning we kind of talk about what all we want to do with it. But I would imagine that's going to be a part of it, and it will be something special.

Q. We talked to Heather after the All-Star race, and she had brought up to me that at some point you guys have had the conversation with Denny where it's like next year doesn't have to be the end, if you guys want to keep going. Have you had a similar conversation with Denny where it's like one more contract?

JOE GIBBS: I joke with him, I say we've got a five-year deal ready. Really it's dead serious from a standpoint, any athlete that's really performing like that -- I've had athletes at different times in football come to me and say, Coach, can I come back? I always try to give the same advice. I would go as far as you could go when you're still performing. That way you never look back in life.

So I'll probably say the same thing to Denny, but yeah, we reached out with that two-year deal, and I think we want Denny to stay with us.

Q. So never say never?

JOE GIBBS: Never say never, yeah, that's a good way to put it.

Q. Toyota has been so dominant all year, and with Denny winning back-to-back years at Michigan, how do you find a competitive edge on the track where you know Ford and Chevy are going to bring their all?

JOE GIBBS: This sport is so hard, and I think the biggest thing you can do in any pro sport, what I've learned anyway, is to stay up there. That's the goal, you know everybody else is working so hard, and if you happen to be out in front for a little while, they're after you.

So we know it's not going to last, everybody's working extremely hard. These are the best race teams that race cars. We just want to stay up there as long as we can. Instead of being happy and what have you, work hard because you know everybody else is coming.

Q. This was a first win for National Debt Relief on the 11 car. Can you just talk about what that significance is? Last year you guys were struggling to sell out the car, and this year you guys came to Daytona and the car was completely sold out?

JOE GIBBS: Tribute to all of our guys back at the race shop. We talk about all the people that race the cars that are here, but there's a group at our race shop, for instance, just that. Our sales group that work so hard on that with the relationships and everything.

Because this sport, you've got to have sponsor partners, and certainly National Debt Relief being the high-profile company it is, when you have a chance, just like I did in the winners circle, to call the key people in the company and have a chance to talk to them, it means the world.

They invest with you, invest a lot. So when you get a chance to do something like this and get return for them, it just means the world. I just appreciate our guys back home that work on all this, and all of us at our race team realize how important it is. So we're all involved. All of us that are there work with our sponsors. So it's a huge deal for us, so thanks for asking that.