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NASCAR America: How Joe Gibbs built a racing empire; also fan questions

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Joe Gibbs and Dale Jarrett discuss how a dream on a piece of paper over two decades ago has evolved into a championship caliber team in NASCAR.

Joe Gibbs was our special guest on Wednesday’s edition of NASCAR America.

The show, which originated from the NASCAR Hall of Fame, took Gibbs through a walk down memory lane during the one-hour episode.

Sure, Gibbs won three Super Bowls as a legendary Pro Football Hall of Fame head coach with the Washington Redskins, but Wednesday’s appearance wasn’t about football.

Rather, one of the biggest -- and most key aspects of his career -- was how Gibbs reflected back on how Joe Gibbs Racing was built.

It’s not commonly known, but Gibbs grew up a gear head. He was drag racing in his teens -- while also sowing the seeds for his legendary football career. When he decided to go NASCAR racing in 1991, he started small. To the point where he not only never envisioned his company becoming as large or as successful as it has become in 26 years, but even if it would survive financially in the first few years.

Another thing about Gibbs not too many people know: when he dipped his feet into the NASCAR world, he also owned a NHRA drag racing team that had both a Top Fuel dragster and Funny Car for several years before deciding to focus all his motoring oversight on his quickly growing NASCAR operation.

Gibbs has influenced a number of drivers that have driven for him over the years, not to mention the hundreds of individuals that have worked for him -- including many who are still with Joe Gibbs Racing since its origination.

One of those that Gibbs had a most profound impact upon was NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Jarrett, who related the high esteem he holds his former boss in.

"(Gibbs) and my dad are the two most influential people I’ve ever met in my life,” Dale Jarrett said.

See that excerpt in the video above.

Also, Gibbs revealed during Wednesday’s episode what some of his greatest achievements have been in NASCAR, how he manages completely opposite personalities, from Kyle Busch to Denny Hamlin and Matt Kenseth to Daniel Suarez.

Check out that particular segment in the video below.