NASCAR Cup Series

Keeping the faith: Others at JGR need to step up, and will

Published Mar. 28, 2015 12:42 p.m. ET

Jeff Hammond

As you probably already have heard by now, J.D. Gibbs, the team president of Joe Gibbs Racing, is beginning treatment for symptoms impacting areas of brain function.

I hope you all will join me in praying for J.D. and his family. Folks, there is no finer person in the garage area than J.D. He and his father have brought so much to our sport. They've been fine examples in showing everyone how they want to run their organization, by the class of people they bring in to work for them, plus the way they represent their organization.

They aren't afraid to show their faith publicly. They do so much to support Motor Racing Outreach with is our NASCAR ministry. They just carry themselves in our sport with class.

J.D. is as competitive a person as you will ever meet. Doctors suspect maybe a trauma he sustained in another sport years go might be coming to the surface. I'm just hoping this is something the doctors can quickly identify and address.

We as a sport and particularly Joe Gibbs Racing as an organization are going to be feeling that void while J.D. is out, although he has told members of the organization that he plans to remain involved as much as possible during his treatment process. The JGR family already lost driver Kyle Busch earlier in the year to injuries and his timetable for return is unknown, so here's another valuable piece of their puzzle that is being at least partially sidelined.

They have a great support group over there at Joe Gibbs Racing and some really fine, quality individuals. I think they will all pull together over there. It definitely will make them stronger but someone is going to need to step up and at least help take the reins of JGR until J.D. can return to his full-time duties.