Thirty-five races worth of sweat, blood, and tears will culminate into a winner-takes-all Championship 4 race in Phoenix this Sunday. During a time when title desires lead to ugly rivalries, two racing stalwarts displayed an example of mutual respect and appreciation. 

Rick Hendrick and Joe Gibbs, team owners of the two most reputed NASCAR teams, set aside their on-track battles and put a solidified front together.

Joe Gibbs Racing and Hendrick Motorsports owners have no bad blood before Phoenix

After a cutthroat 9-week playoff battle, four racers climbed to the top of the drivers’ standing. Three of them belong to Hendrick Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing combined. JGR’s #20 driver Christopher Bell got his ticket to Phoenix after winning the Round of 8 race in Homestead-Miami. Additionally, HMS stars Kyle Larson and William Byron will meet the Gibbs driver head-on after qualifying in Las Vegas and Martinsville, respectively. 

While Larson’s #5 team is vying for a second title, his teammate Byron advanced to the final round for the first time in his career. Moreover, Bell, who has won the most poles this season, is seeking the checkered that slipped away from his grasp in the final race of the previous season. Undoubtedly, both HMS and JGR are busy preparing themselves to charge ahead and destroy their competition on the racetrack. 

Off track, however, the team owners shared a light moment to dispel tensions prior to the crucial Phoenix race. During virtual press conferences, the veteran team owners briefly connected to wish each other well. Amid constant speculation and driver analysis, it was heartening to see Mr. H’s genuine admiration and respect for the revered NFL coach and NASCAR team owner Joe Gibbs.

In the clip shared by Kenny Wallace, Rick Hendrick could be heard admitting, “I’m proud to be in there with you, brother.” In response, a touched Gibbs acknowledged, “Well, I appreciate you too. Let’s go get it. Let’s have a good one.” That wasn’t all! Prior to these wishes, the duo even indulged in playful banter.

Coach Gibbs had to text Rick Hendrick a lot more than he wanted to this season

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A JGR-HMS showdown was highly anticipated right from the beginning of the playoffs. Even though Team Penske’s Ryan Blaney altered that scenario with his Martinsville win, 3/4th of the championship field is occupied by the representatives of those two top-tier teams. That was inevitable with the way JGR and HMS drivers dominated the tracks throughout the year.

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Accustomed to frequent wins, the two NASCAR legends revealed their commendable post-win ritual in their Zoom call. Rick Hendrick tickled the JGR team owner when he asked, “We always text each other and congratulate each other after we win. If I happen to win [in Phoenix], are you going to text me and congratulate me Sunday?” In a fit of laughter, Joe Gibbs replied, “I will be forced to. I feel like I need to do that, yes I will.”

The former football coach reminded Rick Hendrick that he has already been texting a lot more than the HMS team owner this year. In a collective wins tally, HMS currently stands at 10 while JGR drivers won 8 times this year. Gibbs continued, “The problem is I’ve been having to text a whole lot more than you have, that’s a problem.”

It was refreshing to witness their quips and laughter before they fought for the same prestigious trophy in the Phoenix battleground.

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