Not sure how many "old school" FF guys are still on Apexspeed, but I just learned that Gibby passed Saturday. Many of us learned most of what we know about small Formula cars from him. Truly a legend.
Gib Gibson
Not sure how many "old school" FF guys are still on Apexspeed, but I just learned that Gibby passed Saturday. Many of us learned most of what we know about small Formula cars from him. Truly a legend.
Competition One Racing
racer6@mchsi.com
I unlearned everything I thought I knew when I started working with Gibby. The education he offered always came with a great story. He was one of a kind.
Mike Beauchamp
RF95 Prototype 2
Get your FIA rain lights here:
www.gyrodynamics.net/product/cartek-fia-rain-light/
Such a loss to all. Great man. Loved his workshop and dedication to his Nordic Track!Originally Posted by SStadel
There's getting to be a pretty good crew of guys up in Heaven that I learned a lot from.
Rest in peace Gibby and thank you.
Stonebridge Sports & Classics ltd
15 Great Pasture Rd Danbury, CT. 06810 (203) 744-1120
www.cryosciencetechnologies.com
Cryogenic Processing · REM-ISF Processing · Race Prep & Driver Development
So sorry to hear this. When I came back to formula car racing after a 15 year break I ran a few F2000 races with K-Hill and Gibby was looking after my car. I had no idea what a treat it was to work with him until we got through the first weekend. He got me comfortable in the car quickly and helped me knock the considerable rust off. Couldn't ask for a better person to help me get back in.
RIP Gibby.
What a great person and true gentleman, I treasure every moment spent with him, whether it was on his side of the border or mine.
RIP Gibby.
Gibby
Same here. He helped us get back on track at a FRP F2000 Road Atlanta. We were headed back to Canada. Thanks to him we made R2. RIP Gibby.
One of the most amazing racers and personalities I've ever met.
We have hundreds of pictures, I've yet to find one with him smiling.I think he hated cameras.
This one at the FF40th. He personally bought the trophies that he thought should be awarded. I forced him to be in this picture. He always liked to stay behind the scenes.
He made a lot of people fast, and many more able to enjoy the sport.
Gibby
I don't remember the first time we met, probably at Blackhawk Farms when I was racing my F/Ford.Throughout the decades following, either speaking on the phone or seeing him at the track, it was always a highlight of my day.
RIP old friend.
To re-enforce what Stonebridge said:
Rob and Gibby loving the camera.
Maybe a partial smile...
With another of the "crew in the sky" that Stonebridge wrote of...
WGI. Cole in the background.
Last edited by Purple Frog; 12.06.21 at 11:48 AM.
The man was serious about his racing.
Janice had this titled as "Gib's race face".
Really a truly nice guy under the serious outer shell.
My fav "Gib story" is when I was coaching a kid whose car Gibby was crewing on. Every session the kid came in and blamed the car. We both knew it was more how the kid was trying to drive it than the car - the car wasn't the limiting factor. After a qualifying session the kid came in, and in debrief started blaming the car. Gibby asked him three or four questions to which we already knew the answer but the kid was just making stuff up to blame the car. Gibby's response? In a calm but stern voice - "don't fuc#!&@ lie to me." And walked away.
The kid was a lot faster the next session.
Godspeed Gib.
Gib Gibson! What a guy. Getting to know Gibby and work with him was a highlight of my time racing. He was the salt of the earth, with more wisdom that I knew to soak up back then. He will be missed greatly.
He had the work ethic of 10 men, and made sure things got done to his standards. At Road America in 2010, after a few sessions I thought something was loose. The car just did not feel right. He and the guys checked all the obvious stuff, but something was still off, so he stripped the whole car down to find the issue. Once he found the loose bolt, he made sure that he switched out all of the hardware that wasn't "up to snuff" while they put the car back together. Gibby did it the right way all the time. No shortcuts.
Gibby was also deathly afraid of snakes. We were leaving dinner in Watkins one night, and I noticed a little rat snake or something in the grass, it couldn't have been longer than 10"-12". He was already pulling out with Kaiser and some of the crew when I flagged them down like I needed to talk to them. They rolled down one of the windows, and I took the little snake that I had caught and tossed it into the rental car, yelled "snake!" and started laughing. Gibby grabbed the "oh ****" handle and threw his feet up on the dashboard of the car. Kaiser said he rode like that the whole way back to the hotel.
A great man that we are all lucky to have known.
Sorry to hear the news. Our thoughts and prayers are with Gib's family and our racing friends.
I'm really sorry to hear this. Another icon of our sport gone. RIP Gib.
Dave Weitzenhof
I met him at Roebling, where he helped me reassemble my carb linkage, that had fallen off, but not out of, my DB-1(try that trick some time). Years later I sent him an email about a problem I had, and weeks later he returned a lengthy explanation, along with an apology for the delay. Seems he was out of the country at the time. He also sent his number and an offer to help with any further issues on the car. Just a really nice, knowledgeable, generous with his time kind of guy, He will be missed
Jim
Swift DB-1
Talent usually ends up in front, but fun goes from the front of the grid all the way to the back.
Gib
I was fortunate to compete against Gib at Blackhawk in the early eighties and shared many common race weekends, when he has helping Doc Lyddon with his FF Swift program, back in the FF hey day.
just a great all around guy.
he will never be for gotten, but he will be missed.
RIP Gib.
Fletch
March 79V
Another fine person gone. Too Soon.
I do not get onto ApexSpeed very often anymore, but when someone text me the news this morning it hit hard.
When I was shopping for a DB1 20+ years ago his name kept coming up. “You need to talk to Gibby”. I finally asked Tom Andresen who is this “Gibby” everyone is telling me I have to talk to learn about Swifts. We quickly became fast friends when I bought a car and he was 60 mi from my office. Many nights were spent in his backyard shop w the car on his scale platform fine tuning. He taught me Swift and car prep, I taught him auto-x.
Add in the experts Andresen & Justice, Prince, Taylor, Learned, and Stimola and that car was magic. I learned a ton from all of them, but Gib and Joe damn that was like going to FF University. Everytime I tell myself I want another car, I remind myself my network of expertise is retired or looking down on us.
Godspeed Gib you were one of a kind.
Peter Calhoun
Motorsport Manager- Michelin North America, Inc.
Swift DB1-86 FF1600 (bye-bye 3.12)
2009-10 SCCA CM National Champions
I just remembered.
Gibby showed up at the FF40th with the most perfect reproduction of the famous Runoffs winning Swift. #35
He told me how many hundreds of hours he had spent re-creating it...
I now wonder what happened to that car.
....
What a sad piece of news to learn this evening….
I felt honored that Gib crewed for me on many occasions in 2000 while I was racing my Reynard 88F. I think he had a soft spot for Reynard’s more than he liked me!
With his help (and coaching by Justin Pritchard) I had my best season in Formula Ford culminating with finishing 12th at the Runoffs.
Pretty good for a mid pack wanker such as myself!
God speed old friend. May your memory be a blessing.
If I'm not mistaken, the car is in the CA lobby of Swift Engineering, Inc...
Chris Pruett
Swift DB1
RIP Gib
While I did not know him personally, I actually spoke with him a few months ago... I am researching history on a Dulon FF that came from Joe Harris (CenDiv 70's Dulon Importer) and when talking with Gary Hackbarth who drove for Joe in the mid seventies, said if anyone knows where Joe is now, it would be Gib Gibson... I called Gib and when cold calling people these days, you have to get the words "Racing" and "Formula Ford" out in the first few seconds or the phone goes dead...lol
Gib took the time to answer my questions and only remembered that Joe moved to Colorado so my search has gone cold again...
In looking at the FF40th and 50th and was lucky enough to attend both, I cannot say enough great things about the people that made racing great in the 70's and 80's (my personal favorite era of racing)
Mike Winebrenner
if I have it right, that car is the actual, original Swift-DB ONE, rebuilt by Gibby from Bruce May's frame, which he saved after switching to a new frame modified by Pat Prince. The car was gorgeous. Gibby did a great job on that
Jim
Swift DB-1
Talent usually ends up in front, but fun goes from the front of the grid all the way to the back.
sad day
I last saw Gibby at PRI a few years back, a true gentleman who gave much more than he ever took. I worked with him at more than a few teams and he was always the first one to lend a hand if you were in trouble. Like countless others I learned so much from our time together and will forever be in debt to one of the originals. Godspeed Gib.
Brian Graham.
I am sad to have stumble across this thread. I have been a FV racer all my life and I don't know why but one year at the runoffs Gibby came and talked to me and from then on he would come say hi when we managed to be at the same track. Even though he always worked on fords, he seemed interested in me racing my own FV car.
When I started asking him general questions I realized he really knew a lot about racing and he kinda became my go to guy for help and everything he told me worked fine with my FV. My wife started taking notes when he was around and when I wondered what I should do to solve an issue, her reply was what did Gibby tell you?
What a shame, the FV world has has just lost two good guys in it's self, in Jim Oseth, which you ford guys might remember and Court Hannah. Both from the DC area.
Ed
Wow this is sad news indeed. I never worked on a team with Gibby but ALWAYS enjoyed seeing him at the track and jawing with him all the way back to the eighties! The pic of Gibby & Stimola felt like a dagger being twisted in me. Does anyone know what took Gibby?
God Speed Gibby!
Was introduced to Gibby by Joe Stimola at a PRI show. At Joe’s request Gibby opened his vast experience of the DB1 to me over breakfast (or should I say “started” to open).
From that day forward we became friends.
Always willing to pitch in, he immediately became a role model.
At a Runoffs event at Topeka, he and Joe were very helpful, and quite encouraging.
We remained in touch over the years, although we both had stopped or reduced our involvement. Usually I’d phone him during Christmas just to say hi. I could hear his voice slipping away, but I could also hear in his voice an excitement that we both shared.
I’ve been blessed to have met him and listen to him.
Like with Joe Stimola I will miss them dearly.
John D.
I remember watching that car get rolled out of the trailer at Road America for the first time. The rebuild he did was impeccable. He was always there to help no matter who was asking. Even when we didn't ask! Rest in peace, Gibby!
2003 VanDiemen FSCCA #29
Follow me on Twitter @KeithCarter74
Bruce May was the original car driver.
Is this the same Swift that RK Smith won the Runoffs in?
I believe his historic win came in 1983, as the oldest driver up to then to win an FF national championship at, I think, close to 50.
Last edited by E1pix; 12.10.21 at 9:11 PM.
Once we think we’ve mastered something, it’s over
https://ericwunrow.photoshelter.com/index
Mike Beauchamp
RF95 Prototype 2
Get your FIA rain lights here:
www.gyrodynamics.net/product/cartek-fia-rain-light/
Gibby
Gibby was one of a kind. One of the "old school' guys that I looked up too. No BS about him.
Thanks Gibby , gonna miss you.
nick
I’m sorry I missed this. Gibby was great! He was always someone I could count on to help me out! It was never the driver, it had be the car! He was always working with someone else. But he was very unselfish! Always willing to help a newby! It was his fault , I ended up in a Piper! He introduced me to Don and recommend his car. It might have been Joe Stimola that introduced me to Gibby! All icons in the Formula Ford world! I am honored to know them all, and had their respect.
God Speed Gibby,
Wes Allen
Merlyn Mk-025
Piper DF-2
Piper DF-5
Swift DB6
AAR Eagle DGF
long live Formula Ford!
Oh, there are many of us “Old School” guys that knew Gibby! He was 1-in-a-million (Hell, 1-in-100,000,00). Terrific guy and extremely bright. Sad to hear of his passing.
M Cannon
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