TYLER  RANDALL  "TY"  GIBBS   -   10/04/2002

Ty Gibbs is the grandson of NASCAR team owner Joe Gibbs.  His parents are Coy and Heather Gibbs; brother of JD Gibbs.  Even before go-karts, Joe Gibbs remembers a seven-year-old obsessed with all sorts of bikes — BMX, mountain bikes, you name it.  “He was, right off the bat, into racing something,” Gibbs said.  The family business, no doubt, played a factor. At 13, Ty was hitting the track six days a week to race go-karts, with Sunday the only day off.  There’s another reason Ty pursued racing over football: His size.  At 5-foot-9, he lacks the height of his grandfather and father, who each played the sport before coaching.  Undersized or not, Ty suited up — and he credits the game with fostering a toughness that helps him on the track.  In 2017 and 2018, Gibbs competed in the CARS Late Model Stock series for Marlowe Racing.  He finished 14th in the season points standings in 2017 (due to Gibbs only 

competing in 8 out of 13 races that year), and 8th in 2018.  Gibbs ran a partial schedule in the 2019 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, collecting four second-place finishes in five starts in the DGR-Crosley #17.  On September 21, Gibbs scored his first career win in his sixth start at the Apple Barrel 125 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in the #54 in 2019.  Ty was a full-time competitor in the ARCA Menards Series East.  In 2019, he made his NASCAR K&N Pro Series West debut.  In February 2019, he scored an emotional victory when he won the Myrtle Beach Icebreaker with an emotional victory, providing his family  with a necessary win they needed.  He competed in

CARS Series 2018

K&N Apple Barrell 125 win 2019

his first Late Model Stock race for Nelson Motorsports. Ty’s victory provided a sweet, emotional, and much-needed victory to the family who had been mourning the death of ‘Uncle JD.’  However, this was not Ty Gibbs’ first victory in his career as he also won multiple Late Model Stock wins at Hickory Motor Speedway.  Gibbs turned 18 on October 4, 2020, which made him eligible to race on all tracks on the ARCA schedule (including Daytona and Talladega).  In 2021, Gibbs ran full-time in the series in the JGR #18.  He started the season with a 4th-place finish at Daytona, followed by a win at Phoenix.  At Kansas in May, he led every lap in the race en route to the win, the first time since Kevin Swindell in 2012 at Chicagoland Speedway that a driver in the series led all laps in a race.  Gibbs would  later replicate this feat at Charlotte two races later and at the Milwaukee Mile in August.  In 2021 Ty got his

first NASCAR starts; while mainly concentrating on the ARCA Series.  In the ARCA Series he was impressive.  In the 20 race series, he won ten times; and had 19 Top 5 finishes. In the ARCA East Series he ran four races; won four poles; and went to victory lane all four times.  In his very first Xfinity series start; he won at the Daytona Road Course; becoming just the sixth driver to win in their Xfinity debut. He is the only driver to win without prior experience in the Cup Series; and the only driver to win in their first NASCAR national series race.  He drove the #54 JGR All Star car this season.  The ride was shared by several drivers so this relegated Gibbs to only 18 starts.  In those 18 starts, he looked like a seasoned veteran as he posted 

Ice Breaker 125 win - Myrtle Beach 2019

ARCA Series Champ 2021

four wins, two second place finishes, and nine Top 5’s.  Gibbs was behind the keyboard of the #18 car full time in 2022 in the Xfinity series; and if what he had shown so far was any indication; he’ll be in the hunt to win the Championship.  Gibbs run full time in the Xfinity series driving the #54. The kid had showed a lot of maturity and experience behind the wheel; but also, some immaturity with intentional wreck-less driving and crashing others.  At the Martinsville spring race on April 8, Gibbs led 196 laps, but was passed by teammate Brandon Jones on the final lap and finished eighth after a bump from Sam Mayer in the final turn.  After the race, Gibbs ran into Mayer's car during the cool-down lap before both drivers engaged in a fistfight on pit road.  Following this incident, Gibbs was fined

$15,000for hitting Mayer's car on pit road after the race.  At the next to the last race; again at Martinsville; Gibbs was leading and with just a couple laps to go his team-mate Brandon Jones worked his way underneath Gibbs and made the pass.  As they took the white flag; Gibbs just drove into turn one and ran over Jones; punting him into the wall, as he went on to take the win.  He was roundly booed by the fans when he crawled from the car.  Another problem with his action, was that Jones was Gibbs team mate, and needed the win to make it into the championship four.  So when he wrecked Jones, he knocked a fellow team mate and Toyota driver out of the chance of winning the Championship.  Let's back up.  He won early in the season at Las Vegas, Atlanta, and

1st NASCAR win - Xfinity - Daytona Rd Course 2021

Ty Gibbs starts Martinsville fight

Richmond.  Every week he showed up they had one of the best cars there.  The only three races he failed to finish were crashes he was involved in.  Gibbs scored his fourth win at Road America in July by passing Kyle Larson on the final lap and claimed his fifth win of the season a month later at Michigan.  He won again at Martinsville (as mentioned previously) and when the team went to Phoenix for the Championship race he was the car to beat.  He qualified on the pole and led 125 of 200 laps.  The JRM cars of Noah Gragson and Justin Allgaier tried desperately to keep pace; but neither had anything for Gibbs.  He went on to win the race and claim the Championship.  The family went home after  

the race, and it was announced the next morning that Ty's Dad Coy Gibbs had died in his sleep; at the age if 49.  No cause of death has been given at the time.  On the Cup side of things; when Kurt Busch got hurt and had to miss seat time; Gibb's grandson Ty Gibbs was picked to replace Kurt.  Gibbs was in the Xfinity series full time driving for JGR, and Kurt Busch drove for 23XI racing; a satellite team of JGR.  When Kurt crashed in qualifying at Pocono; Ty was tabbed to be his replace for the race.  Gibbs had no laps in a Cup car; didn't get to practice the car or qualify it.  He was going into the race a cold as it gets.  He was told to just run safe; try and stay on the lead lap if possible; and bring the car home in one piece.  He managed to stay on the lead lap during the first two stages thanks to some 

2022 Xfinity Series Champ

First Cup start - Pocono 2022

yellows that bunched the field back up.  After 200 miles under his belt; the crew chief loosened the reins a little bit and told Ty to be a bit more aggressive.  When the checkered flag flew, he had finished 16th on the lead lap.  The next race at Indianapolis he was 17th, and the following week, he got his first top ten at Michigan.  The rest of the season he consistently finished from around 15th to 22nd.  Still no sponsor was found for Kyle Busch.  Rumors began to surface that with grandson Ty running so well; maybe Gibbs wasn't looking too hard to "find" a sponsor.  The thinking being Gibbs would just put Ty in the car.  Things dragged out.  Tyler Reddick threw a monkey wrench into things also.  Reddick got his first Cup win at 

Road America in July.  About a week later, Reddick announced he would be leaving Richard Childress Racing at the end of the 2024 season.  The announcement was a surprise to Childress, and he was upset he had been left out of the loop.  Interestingly enough, Reddick was going to drive for 23XI Racing.  Busch showed great patience while Gibbs was "looking" for a sponsor for Busch; but said they was not having any luck.  Finally, Kyle had to make a decision on his future; and he signed to drive for RCR in 2023 in the #8 car.  Childress assured Reddick would have a ride in 2023; but when it was all said and done; it was a 

Cup car - 2023 Daytona 500

Cup Pocono 2023 - First Top 5 finish

big game of musical chairs.  Busch went to RCR; Reddick went to 23XI, and Ty Gibbs was brough in to drive the JGR Cup car full time starting in 2023.  Gibbs won the 2023 Cup series Rookie of the Year.  Only he and Noah Gragson were eligible; and Gragson got suspended half-way through the season.  Gibbs would have probably won it anyway since he had four Top 5 and ten Top 10 finishes.  Gibbs started off the season slow as the first four races saw him finish no better than 16th.  However, in his next four events, he 

finished in the top 10 every time.  His results were up and down most all year; typical of a Rookie.  His first Top 5 would come at Pocono, when he started 11th and finish fifth.  This would be the first track he had made two starts on, as this was where he took over the car when Kurt Busch got injured the year before.  He got another fifth place finish at Watkins Glen, and another at Bristol.  Gibbs has shown to be a good road racer and had his season’s best finish at the Charlotte Roval when he finished fourth.  He had 22 finishes of 20th or better.  He also made eight starts in the Xfinity series.  He was very competitive in all his starts.  He won on the road course at Indianapolis, and finished in the Top 5 four other times.  At Nashville he

Xfinity win 2023 - Indy road course

ran well and won stage one; before being in and accident and crashing out.  At Watkins Glen he made a great run, winning the pole and leading 70 of 86 laps.  He was leading with two laps to go.  As the race wound down, Sam Mayer spun Gibbs and went on to take the win.  Gibbs finished 17th.  He’ll be back in the #54 JRG car in 2024.  Some info from Wikipedia

 

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