In the unforgiving world of NASCAR, confidence often makes the difference between champions and those who fade into obscurity. The Gibbs name carries immense weight in motorsports circles, a legacy built by Joe Gibbs over decades of excellence. When his grandson, Ty Gibbs, entered the Cup Series full-time in 2023, expectations soared alongside whispers that perhaps the 22-year-old’s rapid ascension had more to do with his last name than his talent. After a difficult start to the 2025 season that saw him sitting 34th in points after four races, critics began using the dreaded “bust” label.
Things were pretty serious, so much so that even grandpa Gibbs had to acknowledge the slump in performance of the #54 team. “There’s no secret here, we’ve gone through a tough time.” A streak of five races without a top 10 finish at a time when the likes of Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin are picking off wins for fun was indeed concerning for Ty and his team. But, something has changed after the race at Homestead Miami, and the #54 team seems to have turned a corner for good. While Ty became the longest JGR tenured driver without a win with more than 78 starts, he isn’t concerned about the outside noise as long as he is confident about his racing abilities. And ahead of the Texas race, he had a message for his critics.
Ty Gibbs Finds Form Amid Early Season Struggles
The opening stretch of 2025 was brutal for Gibbs. After starting with a respectable 16th place at the Daytona 500, Gibbs endured five straight finishes of 25th or worse, including a disappointing 36th at Atlanta and a 34th at Circuit of the Americas. The critics grew louder with each passing week, questioning whether he deserved a premium seat at Joe Gibbs Racing.
But Gibbs has found his stride in recent weeks, jumping from 34th to better in the championship standings thanks to impressive back-to-back top-10 finishes at Darlington (9th) and Bristol (3rd), his first such streak of the season. The turnaround coincides with his growing chemistry with new crew chief Tyler Allen, though Gibbs refuses to attribute early struggles to the team transition. “You know, my confidence doesn’t waver. At the beginning of the year, of course, there were a lot of uncontrollable things that were happening, and then we had two bad races. So, you know, it’s hard to judge the book by its cover,“ Gibbs explained after a streak of good results at Darlington and Bristol. He also cleared the air surrounding his new crew chief on whether his tactics resulted in below-par results on the racetrack.
After five races with finishes outside the top-20, Ty Gibbs has four consecutive finishes inside the top-20 including two top-10s. Gibbs said he never lost confidence. @NASCARONFOX pic.twitter.com/sXntg7ANdr
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) May 4, 2025
“No, I don’t think it’s growing pains at all. I think that, you know, there’s, you just learn to work with new people. And, you know, I really, you know, like in… I look up to my crew chief, Tyler Allen, and my engineers. So, I think they do a really great job, and I’m just happy to be where I’m at.” It is worth noting that Ty’s trusted crew chief, Chris Gayle, with whom he won the Xfinity Series title, moved to the #11 team. Since then, he’s had to adjust to the new man in charge of his pit box, Tyler Allen. And it’s taken some time and a few bumps along the road for this chemistry to build up.
But just when things were going good for Ty Gibbs on the racetrack, he found himself in deep waters with an off-track incident. And it’s incidents like this that open the door for criticism.
Ty was camera shy at Talladega
Ty Gibbs’ racing fortunes may have turned positive with recent top-15 finishes, but his trackside temperament continues to raise eyebrows. After qualifying 10th at Talladega on Saturday—the only Toyota to advance from the first round—Gibbs approached a nearby camera, pushed it aside and tersely asked, “What do you want?” before retreating behind a toolbox. This awkward encounter highlighted a disconnect between his improving on-track performance and his media relations.
This isn’t Gibbs’ first confrontation with cameras. Similar incidents occurred at Talladega in 2022 when he repeatedly pushed down a camera while speaking with his grandfather Joe Gibbs, and again at Watkins Glen in 2023 when he abruptly shoved away a camera that approached his car window. These recurring episodes suggest a pattern of discomfort with media scrutiny that contrasts with the 22-year-old’s growing success on the track.
Despite the troubles, Gibbs still has a season to prove his worth. A win, along with a spot in the playoffs, would be huge for his team. But another winless season would lead to questions around his place in the JGR lineup, especially when his teammates are performing well with almost identical equipment.
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