Joe Gibbs - Racing to Win: Establish Your Gameplan for Success

Whether in the football arena, the racing arena, or the arena of everyday living; Joe Gibbs clearly has found a successful formula for being a winner. Knowing how to establish a great game plan is second nature to Joe, and I know you will thoroughly enjoy his insights into winning the most important game of allthe game of life.

J AMES R. A NDREWS , MD, Orthopedic Surgeon

Joe Gibbs is a shining example for all of usa shining example of how to do things the right way.

C HARLES C AWLEY , CEO, MBNA America

Joe Gibbs is a uniquely successful football-coach-turned-NASCAR-owner. He's also a remarkably decent and generous man. Joe's advice is worth hearing.

D ONALD E. G RAHAM , Chairman of the Board, The Washington Post

Joe Gibbs knows how to inspire men and women to achieve greatness in the face of formidable obstacles. He is the kind of courageous, noble citizen that has made our country great, and we can all learn from his example.

J ACK K EMP , Director, Empower America

Joe Gibbs is a fierce competitor who knows how to motivate people and bring out the best in them.

B OBBY L ABONTE , 2000 NASCAR Winston Cup Champion

From the high of winning the Super Bowl to the low of nearly losing his cherished wife, Pat, to a brain tumor, Joe Gibbs has seen more dramatic ups and downs in the twenty years I've known him than most people experience in a lifetime. Yet even in his darkest hours, I've never seen him lose his grace, integrity, or humility. In Racing to Win, Joe teaches us his high-octane formula for handling life's triumphs and trialsa rock-steady reliance on faith and family.

J. W. M ARRIOTT , J R. , Chairman and CEO, Marriott International

When Joe Gibbs announced he was getting involved with NASCAR, he told me he was going to win and enjoy his family more than ever. Little did I know Joe would win another Super Bowlthe Daytona 500and a Winston Cup championship with a formula that can bring victory to anyone. It's all here in Racing to Win.

G EORGE M ICHAEL , The Sports Machine

Russ Grimm and I made plans to go to the Kentucky Derby but Coach Gibbs wouldn't let us out of the Redskins mini-camp; so instead he set up televisions outside so we could watch the Derby Joe did so many things to encourage and humor us.

J OE J ACOBY , Four-time Pro Bowl lineman, Washington Redskins

When I'm right in the middle of the action, as I have been from the beginning of Joe Gibbs Racing, I don't have to judge by a man's promises; I can judge by what I have actually experienced: Joe Gibbs practices what he preaches.

N ORM M ILLER , Chairman, Interstate Batteries

I have long been an admirer of Joe Gibbs. He embodies the qualities that make great leaders and inspire others to excel. He will stretch your horizons and challenge your imagination.

B OB N ARDELLI , Chairman, president, and CEO of The Home Depot

My mind's eye will always see Joe Gibbs in our locker room at halftime, in complete control commanding his coaches and players. Regardless of the circumstances, his approach was always the samecalm and deductive with a genuine vision for victory. And his vision continues to inspire in his teams confidence, the cornerstone of all success. To paraphrase that old saw regarding parents, it amazes me how smart Joe's gotten since I've been out of football.

J OHN R IGGINS , Hall of Fame running back, Washington Redskins

Joe Gibbs has proven again and again that the principles he lives by actually work!

T ONY S TEWART , 2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Champion

T HE G AME P LAN
SUCCESS IN YOUR CAREER

Seven Cornerstone Principles for Success
YOUR FINANCIAL SUCCESS

Eleven Cornerstone Principles for Success
SUCCESS IN BUILDING YOUR TEAM

SUCCESS IN YOUR PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS

Seven Cornerstone Principles for Success
SUCCESS AND YOUR MORAL CHOICES

Seven Cornerstone Principles for Success
SUCCESS AND YOUR HEALTH

Seven Cornerstone Principles for Success
THE F INAL L AP

FOREWORD

BY J D G IBBS AND C OY G LBBS

Y ou can imagine the anxiety experienced by a brand-new head coach of the Washington Redskins whose team starts the season with five losses in a row What people tend to overlook is the stress felt by that coach's family Picture yourself as the new kid in school whose dad promptly leads the local NFL team to a rousing 0-5 start. Believe me, kids in school can be a lot more cruel than your average sports reporter. Thankfully our dad was able to turn things around, and we learned a few life lessons by observing Mom and Dad's trust in the Lord.

Whether it was watching our dad handle a crisis on the field or seeing him deal with a situation at home, we learned what it meant to be a man after God's own heart. Now, we're not saying he's perfect-just ask Mom if you want some proofbut we grew up with a dad who knew right from wrong and was willing to stand up and take the blows life dealt him. In the process he showed us how to be men who trust in the Lord and keep our priorities in order.

A recurring theme throughout this book, and one of the greatest blessings our dad has passed on to us, is the realization that we are stewards of what God has given us. The moment we believe that we are solely responsible for our own success, get readythe bottom will soon drop out. Over and over we've heard our dad tell us that all we are going to leave behind are our family and the impact we have on others. One of his favorite sayings is You never see a hearse towing a U-Haul.

After Skins games, when Dad was head coach, we would flip on the radio as we headed out to dinner. The local sports talk host would be taking calls from fans about the day's game. We'll always remember people calling in and bashing Dad for calling a running play on third and long or for starting the wrong player. Dad would then explain the playbook to us boys and tell us why he made certain calls. Many times the fans had no idea what they were talking about.

Our dad taught us that often in life we are like those fans without playbooks. But instead of yelling at a coach about the play he called, we lash out at God about our lives without ever turning to His playbook, the Bible. Whether our concern is with finances, careers, relationships, health, or just making a tough choice, God has already given us the answers to life's questions.

Thanks, Dad and Mom, for pointing us in the direction of the ultimate Coach and His Playbook. And thanks for allowing us the freedom to choose our own paths. No matter how far we strayed, we could always cast our eyes back on you and truly see God's image.

ONE
RACING TO WIN

W atch out! Trouble on the backstretch! The excited voice of Eddie Masencup, the spotter for our Interstate Batteries #18 car, crackled in my headset, piercing the din at the Homestead-Miami Speedway Eddie's job was to warn our driver Bobby Labonte of impending traffic around him, and with race cars streaking by at nearly 150 miles per hour, Bobby needed the extra eyes Eddie provided. One small bump by another hurtling NASCAR missile could send Bobby's car careening out of control, crashing into another car, or worse yet, smashing into the thick concrete wall surrounding the race track.