Joe Gibbs evaluates current state of NASCAR: 'I like stepping outside the box'

Joe Gibbs founded Joe Gibbs Racing in 1992 as a one-car team in the NASCAR Cup Series. Today, JGR is a four-car team and one of the sport’s premier organizations.

Gibbs has seen the sport evolve over the past three-plus decades. While NASCAR continues to pay homage to its roots with the return of racing at North Wilkesboro Speedway and Bowman Gray Stadium, it has also expanded its reach in recent years. The LA Coliseum hosted The Clash from 2022-24. Sunday marks the third and perhaps final Chicago Street Race, with a San Diego street course potentially on the way. Gibbs is in favor of “stepping outside the box,” telling FOX Sports analyst Kevin Harvick he believes NASCAR is in a good place.

“I think it relates all the time to our fanbase. It’s so important, and now we’re kind of focused on some of the things with streaming — we have a younger generation, how do we attract them and yet, keep our core group there? I think that is kind of where we are,” Gibbs said. “I think, for me, I really enjoy what Ben [Kennedy] has done, you know, being in the Coliseum — that opened up a whole new world. We can go to other stadiums. We can go to New York.

“… But then, the street racing. I was excited about that, and I got to tell you — Chicago, I felt like the fans loved it. Rain messed us all up and they didn’t care. They were there and I felt like both of those races were a huge plus. Now, I think we’re talking about some other road racing in the country, and I love that. I like stepping outside the box. We’ve got our core racetracks, but I really think we’re in a good place.”

Joe Gibbs gives his take on Next Gen car

NASCAR has made it a priority to expand its reach both across the country and abroad. Just last month, NASCAR traveled to Mexico City for the first points race outside the United States in the modern era.

This season is also the fourth with the Next Gen car. Also known as “Gen-7,” the much talked about car has its positives and negatives. Gibbs acknowledged it’s “totally different for us,” but at the end of the day, what’s important to him is making sure the fans are getting what they want out of the sport.

“Gen 7 is totally different for us,” Gibbs said. “In the old days when we came up, somebody was making our chassis and we started looking at it and said we can probably make this better than they are, so we started making the chassis. We went Gen 7, so that is definitely a different wrinkle.

“To me, I hope we continue with the idea of being we want to reward the best team and the best driver every single weekend. That is what our fans want. They know how hard it is. So, anything that holds us back on any of that, I’m hoping that we stay focused on.”