The Insider: Chief concerns

With the Sprint Cup Chase looming, J.D. Gibbs treads lightly through the hallways of Joe Gibbs Racing. The 41-year-old team president recognizes the looks on the faces of his three crew chiefs, the men who call the shots for JGR's Cup teams. It's the staring-right-through-you glare his dad wore when he coached the Redskins.

"During the season he'd walk right by, not even acknowledge me," J.D. says. "He was thinking about football. It's all he ever thought about. But it's how he won three Super Bowls." JGR has won three Cup titles and has done it by following one simple rule. "I don't bother the crew chiefs," J.D. says with a chuckle. "Those guys have one of the hardest jobs in pro sports."

To read insight into the increasing difficulty and complexity of being a NASCAR crew chief, plus get access to Ryan McGee's blog, sign up for ESPN Insider today.

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ESPN The Magazine, NASCAR

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• ESPN The Magazine senior writer
• 2-time Sports Emmy winner
• 2010 NMPA Writer of the Year