Page 23 - ARUBA TODAY

A23
SPORTS Friday 31 January 2020
Gibbs brings Stewart and Labonte into NASCAR Hall of Fame

By JENNA FRYER AP
Auto Racing Writer
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) —
Joe Gibbs was still reeling
from the death of his oldest
son when he arrived at last
year's Daytona 500. Then,
on a magical Sunday for
his team, his drivers went
1-2-3 in the biggest race of
the year to kick off a trib-
ute season to the late J.D.
Gibbs.
J.D. GIbbs died last January
at age 49 from complica-
tions with a long battle with
a degenerative neurologi-
cal disease. Just a month
later, the season began for
Joe Gibbs Racing without
its co-founder. But the loss
was an inspiration all year
for the organization, which In this May 22, 2019, file photo, images of NASCAR's Hall of Fame Class of 2020, from left, Tony Stewart, Joe Gibbs, Waddell Wilson,
won a modern-day record Buddy Baker and Bobby Labonte are shown on a screen after an announcement in Charlotte, N.C.
19 of the 36 Cup Series rac- Associated Press
es, a second Cup title for make it happen,'" said Jar- for him, I wouldn't be where by the Carolina Panthers. ethic and commitment to
Kyle Busch and then saw rett, a Hall of Famer himself. I'm at now. I wouldn't be Gibbs and Rivera were not the success of his teams.
Joe Gibbs elected to the "And he has built this 500- doing the things that I'm particularly close, but when "He's one of the first guys in
NASCAR Hall of Fame. plus employee business up doing now. I wouldn't be Rivera reached out, Gibbs the shop every day, and
Gibbs, already an NFL Hall from literally 18 people that in debt like I am now. And cleared several hours in one of the last to leave,"
of Famer, will be inducted first year and an $800,000 I blame it all on Joe." his schedule to sit and talk Busch said.
Friday night alongside Tony loan. It's just incredible." Gibbs, who is 79, was in- about the Redskins culture "If he's not working at the
Stewart and Bobby Labon- Jarrett in 1993 won the ducted into the Pro Foot- and working for owner Dan shop, he's traveling or flying
te, two drivers who helped Daytona 500, the first of 176 ball Hall of Fame in 1996 Snyder. somewhere to do some-
him build one of NASCAR's Cup victories for the Gibbs for his success with the His drivers — he currently thing for the race teams.
top teams while combining team. Redskins. An ardent sup- fields Cup entries for Busch, My phone rings late at night
to win three of the organi- Then came Labonte in porter of his former team, Martin Truex Jr., Erik Jones when I'm trying to sleep
zation's five Cup titles. 1995. He spent 11 years he recently counseled Ron and Denny Hamlin, a two- and it's Coach just check-
"You couldn't write a book driving the No. 18 for Gibbs Rivera to take the head time Daytona 500 winner ing in. It all starts with him,
and have this happen," and in 2000 gave the orga- coaching job in Washing- discovered by the late J.D. he's the one who drives the
Labonte said of the Gibbs nization its first Cup cham- ton after Rivera was fired Gibbs — marvel at his work entire organization."q
trio's induction together. "I pionship. Stewart was hired
just sit back and reflect on for the No. 20 in 1999 and MLS, Nashville at odds with new mayor
the times with Joe and it's added titles for Gibbs in
going in at the same time. Success seemed easy on over stadium project
awesome we're all three 2002 and 2005.

You just couldn't ask for the track, but Gibbs was
anything better than that." kept busy. Among other NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — tember. The league said in agreeable solution and ex-
Waddell Wilson and the things, Stewart had an ex- Major League Soccer and the statement that Garber pect to have an update re-
late Buddy Baker round plosive temper that led to its new Nashville team say made clear that MLS would garding the project by Feb-
out the Hall of Fame's 2020 meltdowns after poor rac- Mayor John Cooper re- not have awarded Nash- ruary 6,” MLS and Nashville
class of five. es. Gibbs recently joked fused Thursday to commit ville an expansion team said in the statement.
Gibbs was a three-time Su- he'd run to the team hauler to moving ahead with a without the city’s commit- Nashville is scheduled to
per Bowl winning coach in an attempt to mitigate stadium plan approved un- ment to build a soccer sta- begin its debut season Feb.
of the Washington Red- the damage if Stewart had der the previous mayor. dium at the Nashville Fair- 29, hosting Atlanta at Nis-
skins when he secured a bad race. MLS Commissioner Don grounds location. san Stadium, home to the
an $800,000 loan before Stewart never really mel- Garber and team officials “The Mayor’s continued NFL’s Tennessee Titans.
the 1992 season to start a lowed, but used the tools met with Cooper at the refusal to proceed is a Nashville chief executive
NASCAR team with his two he learned from Gibbs to league’s office Thursday deep disappointment,” the officer Ian Ayre said in Au-
sons. He landed Interstate leave in 2008 to become in New York City to discuss league and team said in gust the project would
Batteries as a sponsor — a part owner of Stewart-Haas the team’s stadium proj- the statement. cost at least $50 million
backer that remains with Racing. Although Stewart ect. The soccer officials Cooper must approve de- more than original esti-
JGR to this day — and hired was a driver/owner through said they want an answer molition of some old exhibi- mates and the team would
Dale Jarrett to drive. 2016, he does not believe by Feb. 6. tion buildings for construc- be investing up to $75 mil-
"He sat (us) down and he could have made the MLS and Nashville issued tion to begin on the sta- lion in additional money.
said, 'Look, I've borrowed transition into ownership a joint statement, saying dium. The Metro Nashville Coun-
$800,000 and that's all had he not grown up in the the team has worked over The team will be working cil approved a $275 million
I'm borrowing. If we can't Gibbs organization. the past four months to im- with Cooper’s office over project in November 2017.
make this thing get up and "I learned a lot from this guy prove the stadium deal with the next week trying to fi- MLS granted Nashville an
going … I'll shut this down in the years I was there," new proposals to address nalize a plan to start that expansion franchise in
and chalk it up to a bad in- Stewart said. "I've said it a concerns of the mayor, phase. December 2017 after the
vestment. But hopefully we million times, if I didn't work who took office in late Sep- “We hope for a mutually council’s vote. q