Tony Gibson: How I Almost Lost Kulwicki A Championship

Dale Earnhardt Jr. welcomes longtime NASCAR Cup crew and car chief Tony Gibson to the Download to learn about his path from the short tracks of the Southeast to stock car glory. Growing up in a racing household, in the shadows of Daytona International Speedway, Tony began working on his father Bo Gibson’s cars at an early age. Tony’s older brothers Mark and Pepe also began racing at local strongholds like New Smyrna and Jacksonville and found lots of success at the late model level. Tony explains that Mark’s career advancing into the ARCA and Busch Grand National ranks is what helped get his foot in the door of the NASCAR world. And before long he moved from his family home in Florida to North Carolina to work with Norman Negre -- It was there that Tony made Alan Kulwicki’s acquaintance. Eventually he would follow Alan, from renting part of the Negre shop, to his own AK Racing outfit, where he’d work for several years.
 

Tony talks about the challenges of working with Alan and the major triumph of winning the 1992 NASCAR Cup Championship as an independent team. He also opens up about the tragic plane crash that claimed Alan’s life and how it changed the culture of the team and NASCAR garage forever. Tony would leave for Georgia, working with Bill Elliott for a time before reuniting with Ray Evernham at Hendrick Motorsports at the famed 24 team. Dale and Tony also discuss his years spent at Dale Earnhardt Inc., Stewart-Haas Racing and his current position at HMS working at Hendrick Tech Solutions.

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