What began as a single-car team in the early ’90s for Coach Gibbs has today transformed into a multi-car empire that has defined consistency, dominance, and longevity at the highest level of stock car racing. But this racing legacy wasn’t born in a garage; it started on paper.

In 1992, Joe Gibbs, already a three-time Super Bowl-winning NFL coach, sketched out a vision for a NASCAR team while still entrenched in football. The team debuted that year at the Daytona 500 and shocked the sport when Dale Jarrett captured the 1993 Daytona 500 just one year later. There has been no going back since then. And while Kyle Larson may be a NASCAR champion, even he found himself momentarily stunned when confronted with the full scope of Joe Gibbs’ legacy.

Appearing on the Games with Names podcast with Julian Edelman, Larson admitted he often forgets that Gibbs was once a dominant figure in the NFL before founding Joe Gibbs Racing.

While the conversation began with casual banter about Gibbs being a legend in racing, Larson’s honest reaction to seeing his football accolades pop up in a mobile game, Retro Bowl, revealed a rare, humbled side of the fiercely competitive driver. “It blows my mind because I think of Joe Gibbs, you know? I think of him as NASCAR. Like I forget that he was a football coach… ” Larson said, laughing, before admitting what he’d forgotten.

Joe Gibbs is a Hall of Fame NFL coach with three Super Bowl titles, all earned with the Washington Redskins. He first led them to championships in Super Bowl XVII (1983), Super Bowl XXII (1988), and Super Bowl XXVI (1992), each with a different starting quarterback, a feat no other coach has matched.

Gibbs’ career win-loss record stands at 154–94, and he’s been enshrined in both the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the NASCAR Hall of Fame, making him one of the only individuals to be honored at the highest level in two professional sports. It’s a legacy so massive that even Larson, a top-tier driver born after Gibbs’ football prime, had to pause and recalibrate his respect for the legend.

As the podcast continued, Larson and the hosts dug into Gibbs’ transition between sports — from NFL sidelines to the NASCAR pit wall and then back again. Between 2004 and 2007, Gibbs returned to coach Washington, leading them to multiple playoff appearances.

The crew discussed the NFL strike season and debated whether one of Gibbs’ Super Bowl wins carried an asterisk, though none questioned his impact. Larson’s genuine astonishment and the casual way the conversation unfolded offered a rare glimpse into how even today’s champions remain students of sports history. In that moment, Gibbs wasn’t just the man behind Kyle Busch or Denny Hamlin; he was a reminder that true greatness often spans far beyond the confines of a single arena.

But Kyle Larson is facing backlash somewhere

Tensions boiled over at the recent Iowa Corn 350 when Hendrick Motorsports teammates Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott repeatedly tangled for position in the top ten. On multiple restarts, Larson moved into Elliott’s lane, causing contact and forcing Elliott into loose situations, prompting fans and pundits alike to wonder if teammate rivalry is getting too real. As crews prepared for another restart, the pair found themselves side by side yet again, ultimately contributing to Larson’s miserable 28th-place finish for the day.

Larson’s frustration erupted over the radio once the caution flag waved. “How much f—–g room do I have to leave people?” he snarled, followed with: “I’ve been trying to be a good teammate, a good competitor, and it hasn’t gotten me anywhere the last f—–g hour.” That rant, captured by NASCAR.com’s Dustin Albino, reflected unfiltered annoyance, and it didn’t go unnoticed.

Veteran driver Kevin Harvick, speaking on his podcast, suggested the outburst may stem from internal pressure: “There’s obviously been a conversation that’s happened either within the organization … however this whole conversation about being a good competitor and being a good teammate … came to that rant on the radio.”

Kyle Larson’s slip-up might’ve seemed minor, but his stance on Gibbs quietly highlights the depth of Joe Gibbs’ NASCAR legacy. When even a top-tier driver forgets a Hall of Famer’s football career, it proves just how powerfully Gibbs has redefined himself in motorsports. His name now echoes louder in racing garages, a true testament to a career rebuilt and reborn.