One of NASCAR’s potential future stars will be making his debut this Saturday on Daytona’s iconic Road Course. Ty Gibbs will be behind the wheel of the No. 54 Toyota Monster Energy Supra for the NASCAR Xfinity Series this weekend. So, let’s take a closer look into Ty Gibbs.
Getting to Know Ty Gibbs
For starters, the young Ty Gibbs is the Grandson of the legendary football coach and NASCAR team owner Joe Gibbs and the son of Coy Gibbs, who also raced in the Busch (Xfinity) Series. It is safe to say that racing or any career in NASCAR was probably going to happen for this young man.
Along with his plans to compete in the ‘Rookie of the Year’ honors for the Xfinity Series, he is competing full-time in the ARCA Menards Series. For the past two years in the ARCA, Gibbs has racked up an impressive eight wins, 20 top-fives, 24 top-tens, and seven poles. Because of his age, Gibbs ran only 16 of 20 ARCA events last year and still finished fifth in the series’ point standings which include a runner-up finish on the Daytona Road Course.
Is his Shot in NASCAR Because his Last Name is Gibbs?
It seems obvious that a NASCAR career was bound to happen for Ty Gibbs. A point can be made that he is similar to other sons of NASCAR personalities such as Austin and Ty Dillon, his teammate now at JGR, or Austin Cindric.
Gibbs has proven that the question can be put to rest. Last year he raced aggressively to take the win at Kentucky in the ARCA Menards Series. The car might be top equipment, but it’s the driver that puts the car in victory lane, and he has done just that – six times last season.
For Ty Gibbs Xfinity Series is a Chance to Grow with All-Star Teammates
With his success in the ARCA Series, Gibbs couldn’t be in a better position. He is sharing the No. 54 car with Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr., and Ty Dillon. That is an all-star lineup for the Xfinity rookie contender. Who better to learn from than those guys? Chris Gayle is the crew chief for the JGR Toyota, and he has racked up two Cup Series victories and 20 Xfinity Series victories in his career. Those victories are with drivers, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, and Elliott Sadler to name a few. His teammates at JGR are Harrison Burton (Jeff Burton’s son), Brandon Jones, and Daniel Hemric. Gibbs has the chance to learn a lot this year while we get to watch and see what else he can accomplish.
On Saturday, Gibbs is starting from the 15th starting position. Keeping in mind his second-place finish in the ARCA Menards Series race at the Daytona Road Course last year, Gibbs has his focus on running well. While this might be his first race in the Xfinity Series, he has what he needs for a solid finish. If the race is anything like the Busch Clash, who knows, he might just be running in third when the two in front of him wreck out and Ty Gibbs could steal himself a win. It might be the road course, but it is still Daytona, and anything can happen.