Joe Gibbs gave a simple defense of his decision to suspend two Furniture Row Racing pit crew members who work for his race team.
Why the suspensions?
“Because of their action and what they did,” he told a small group of reporters Sunday morning at Pocono Raceway.
Martin Truex Jr.’s pit crew is employed by Joe Gibbs Racing, so Gibbs had the authority to suspend them after two crewmen confronted Kyle Busch crew chief Adam Stevens after the two drivers wrecked at Indianapolis.
Gibbs said the video, filmed by FOX Sports, “didn’t capture everything that happened there,” though he wouldn’t elaborate on why.
“We always sit and we consider our employees very important to us and the way they act,” he said. “So anyway, we felt like we worked through it the right way.”
Gibbs also said he did not consider disciplining Stevens for his role in the altercation.
Why?
“Because everything that happened,” he said. “I think we took everything into consideration and did what we thought was best.”
Was Gibbs concerned about the criticism directed toward JGR and the appearance he was hurting the team’s top competitor?
“People are always going to say all kinds of things,” he said. “I don’t think we’re worried about that. And obviously, (the crewmen will) be back. That’s one of the best pit crews on pit road.”
More: My analysis of JGR’s decision on the suspensions