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There have been a lot of things to digest in the first five races of the NASCAR season. Lost in the shuffle is the performance of Ty Gibbs.
A thrilling three-wide photo finish at Atlanta followed a sensational Daytona 500. Kyle Larson dominated Las Vegas while Toyota did the same at Phoenix. New manufacturer bodies, penalties, aero changes, horsepower, a webbed glove, and extreme tire management at Bristol.
It is easy to see why Gibbs, who has still never won a Cup race, has been largely overlooked.
After taking Rookie of The Year honors last season, there was supposed to be a sophomore slump for Gibbs. Someone forgot to tell him that. The 21-year-old is the only driver in the series with four top-10 finishes this season, and he currently sits third in the championship standings.
After surviving the opening two races on superspeedways, Gibbs has really turned it on. He qualified 8th at Las Vegas and finished with a top-five. His best finish of 3rd came at Phoenix, where he led 57 laps and qualified on the front row.
Despite the early issues in practice at Bristol, Ty fought his way up through the field in the race. He swept both stages, led 137 laps, and appeared to be heading to his first Cup win. However, a bizarre tire situation prevented that from happening.
The 2022 Xfinity champion was frustrated, he told Bob Pockrass. “We were just two laps late coming in,” Gibbs said. “When we had that tire come apart, I think I was like four laps down at one point. Just frustrating but you have to work for it here.”
The statistics paint a perfect picture this season’s start for the driver of the No. 54 Toyota. Gibbs has led 194 laps this year, trailing only Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson. His 8.8 average finishing position ranks second, just behind teammate Martin Truex Jr.
Toyota has been the dominant manufacturer after the two superspeedway races, and Joe Gibbs Racing appears to be the team to beat this year. Christopher Bell and Hamlin have already scored victories, with Truex finishing runner-up at Bristol.
Gibbs has been knocking on the door and it is only a matter of time before that win comes. Getting it this weekend at COTA would give his grandfather three consecutive victories. Four of Ty’s 12 Xfinity series wins have come on road courses.
Toyota and Joe Gibbs Domination
The top manufacturer right now in the Cup series is Toyota. They have won the last two races – in dominant fashion. Toyota has led 700 of the 812 laps in these last two races.
Joe Gibbs had a one-two finish at Bristol and put all four cars inside the top-ten. The new model Camry certainly has speed. It also looks good, as Dale Earnhardt Jr pointed out.
Ty Gibbs Title Contender
Winning a race does not guarantee you a playoff spot, but to win a title, you will have to win. That is something that Ty is still searching for, but it could come this weekend on the road course in Austin, Texas.
Among all the drivers who competed in the six road course races last season, Gibbs had the third-best average finish. He came home 9th at COTA last season as a rookie and also finished 9th at Chicago. Ty also earned top-five results at Watkins Glen and the Charlotte ROVAL.
It may still be premature to label him a championship contender, but that won’t last much longer. A win is on the horizon. His toughest competition may be his own teammates. If JGR keeps going at this rate, it could be a long season for everyone else.
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