Gibbs Adds Another Winning Team to Collection

Joe Gibbs won three Super Bowls as coach of the Washington Redskins with three different quarterbacks.

His next trick may be to win the Winston Cup for Joe Gibbs Racing with two different drivers. In the season just completed, Bobby Labonte finished second and rookie Tony Stewart fourth, the best finish for a first-year driver in 29 years of Winston Cup racing. Both drove Pontiac Grand Prixs.

Even though Gibbs is a perpetual optimist, the team’s success surprised him.

“It’s hard to believe what all of the people on this team accomplished this year,” he said after the final race at Atlanta last Sunday. “I think everybody knew Bobby [Labonte] was headed in that direction and was going to be a big star in this sport, but maybe Tony surprised some people with what he did.”

Earlier in the year, Gibbs said of Stewart, “When we did our incentives for Home Depot [Stewart’s sponsor] we were sitting there and I was saying, ‘Eighteenth would be miraculous for the first year in points.’ I felt like Tony was going to be up front in a flash and have a chance to run up front quite a bit, but none of us dreamed he’d win a race. That’s so hard to do.

“I don’t think any of us dreamed we’d be in the top 10 in points, certainly not the top five.”

Gibbs will have the same package next year, Labonte with crew chief Jimmy Maker and Stewart with Greg Zipadelli, like his driver a Winston Cup rookie this year. Another car will be added to the team. Jason Leffler, a three-time U. S. Auto Club midget champion, will drive in the Busch series.

Stewart says Gibbs’ influence can’t be understated.

“He’s a great leader and I don’t know why he always downplays that,” Stewart said. “It’s his football coaching background, and that shines through every week. Every time we had a team meeting he’s had everybody at their utmost attention.

“Even though he’s been a coach in the past, he doesn’t tell us how to run the race team. He knows how to keep us pumped up about what we’re doing and knows how to keep us focused about what jobs and tasks we have ahead of us. That leadership quality really shines through. Our crew chiefs take it from there.”

One item remains--the extension of Stewart’s contract beyond 2001.

“Joe and I always see eye to eye on everything, so we’re just making sure all the I’s are dotted and the T’s are crossed,” Stewart said while at Irwindale for Thursday night’s midget race. “I wouldn’t have a problem signing a lifetime agreement with him because I feel like I’m in a very good situation with a very good race team with a very good leader.

“Of course, it’s going to cost him to sign me up now [that he’s won a record three races as a rookie],” he added, smiling. “Joe’s been a great person and a great influence in my life, not only in the race car, but outside the race car. I feel like I couldn’t ask for any more than to be with the team I’m with right now.”

WHO IS THAT MASKED MAN?

Did you notice that someone named Elliott Forbes-Robinson won the American LeMans series prototype championship, driving a five-year-old Riley & Scott Mk.III Ford?

That’s the same EFR who used to live in La Crescenta and whose father was the first general manager of Riverside International Raceway in the 1950s.

He is 56 and was retired from racing for nearly nine years before Rob Dyson talked him into returning and “having some fun.” Forbes-Robinson, who moved his family to North Carolina in 1982, was on the winning team in the 24 Hours of Daytona, shared the shortened Can-Am season title with Butch Leitzinger and co-drove the car that finished second in the 12 Hours of Sebring.

“You’re talking to a guy who retired eight years ago, came back to drive with some friends and wound up staying,” said EFR. “My grandkids didn’t even know I raced. After we ran Sebring and the first race at Atlanta, Butch and I had a good point lead and the team decided to just keep going.

“We were originally going to skip some races at the end of the season. We didn’t think we’d be in it at all.

“I’m still driving for fun. I’m having a ball with the Dyson guys. But after I retired for years and here I am winning a championship. Well, it’s a total surprise to me.

“For one thing, our car’s got five years on it and we’re against some state-of-the-art cars. It’s got four or five 24-hour races on it and we figured it’s got 40,000 racing miles on it.”

THE FOYT CLAN

Larry Foyt, son of A. J., and Ryan Hampton of Glendora have passed the Indy Racing League rookie orientation program.

Foyt drove Kenny Brack’s Dallara Aurora 211.5 mph at Texas Motor Speedway.

“Both did a great job,” said a proud A. J. “They’re fine, young drivers.” Foyt is 22, Hampton 25.

On another front, the elder Foyt named Mike Bliss to drive his Winston Cup car next season. Bliss just completed his fifth season in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck series.

“To put this team together, we’re trying to do over a year’s prep in six months,” Foyt said of his new venture. “I wanted Mike in some of the truck races, and he ran strong. I thought, ‘He could be kind of a dark horse out there.’ And I think he’ll take people by surprise next year.”

Foyt will also run an IRL team with Billy Boat and Jeff Ward, who replaces Indy 500 winner Kenny Brack, who has moved to CART with Bobby Rahal.

ROBBY AND ERNIE

Robby Gordon’s return to Winston Cup racing next year will be enhanced by a relationship with Irvan-Simo Racing. He will drive the No. 13 Ford Taurus designed and built by Irvan-Simo.

Team co-owner Ernie Irvan, who retired as a driver after a crash last season, will oversee the team’s technical development and Mark Simo of Carlsbad will continue to direct the team’s business and commercial side.

“I’m looking forward to helping Robby become a better Winston Cup driver,” said Irvan, a winner of 15 races, including the 1991 Daytona 500, in 11 years. “Helping him with his goals is helping us to make our goals for 2000.”

WINS, THEN LOSES

Sometimes, winning isn’t the answer to moving upward. Sean Woodside of Saugus won NASCAR’s Winston West championship and then learned that his contract would not be renewed for 2000 with car owner Bill McAnally.

The two-time Saugus Speedway champion won with a fifth-place finish last Saturday at Twin Ring Motegi in Japan. Kevin Richards of Spokane, Wash., won the race, NASCAR’s first official race outside the United States.

Woodside, twice Winston West runner-up while driving for Ray Claridge and Golden West Motorsports, finished 94 points ahead of Austin Cameron of San Diego. Jason Small of Bakersfield was named rookie of the year and Butch Gilliland of Chino Hills most popular driver.

REMEMBERING GREG MOORE

Team owners in CART voted unanimously to retire car No. 99 as a tribute to Greg Moore, who lost his life in an accident during the season finale at California Speedway on Oct. 31. The only other retired number is 14 in honor of A. J. Foyt.

It was commonly believed that Moore carried No. 99 because of his association with hockey great and fellow Canadian Wayne Gretzky, who wore No. 99. However, Moore said it was the number on his first license issued by the Westwood Karting Assn.

THE IMPORT CROWD

Two weeks after the National Hot Rod Assn. blistered the Pomona Raceway with record speed runs, the Import Drag Racing Circuit will move in this weekend. Instead of nitro-burning fuelers, the power will come from wankel-rotary and four-cylinder turbocharged engines.

Featured will be a showdown between England’s Wayne Saunders and Riverside’s Abel Ibarra. Saunders drives a 2000 Ford Focus, Ibarra a Mazda RX-7. Both run in the 7.9-second range at 170 mph.

The Checker, Schuck’s, Kragen International Finals will run Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m.

LAST LAPS

The seventh annual Walt James vintage race car gathering will take place this weekend at Willow Springs Raceway in Rosamond. It is open to all pre-1970 sprint and midget cars and roadsters. Racing will be on the three-eighths mile banked oval at Walt James Stadium.

Glen Helen Raceway Park in San Bernardino will host the fourth annual Chaparral AMA Pro-am motocross championship Dec. 18-19. Chaparral riders Jeremy McGrath and Tim Ferry, winner of the Coliseum Summercross, are expected to ride. . . . Brian Tracy has been named vice president of the National Hot Rod Assn. Museum in Pomona.

Former motorcycle champions Eddie Mulder, Dick Hammer and Jody Nicholas will appear Sunday night at L.A. Trade Tech’s eighth annual awards banquet at the Pomona Fairplex, according to chairman Pat Owens. . . . Nicky Hayden, 18, is the AMA Grand National dirt track Ricky Graham rookie of the year. He also raced Superbikes and won five SuperSport road races.

NECROLOGY

Angie Arciero, wife of longtime Indy car owner Frank Arciero of Irvine Cove, died last Saturday after a lengthy illness with cancer. Survivors include her husband and sons Frank Jr., Albert and Robert.