Ty Gibbs Q&A

BY JOSEPH WOLKIN

Ty Gibbs came to the NASCAR Xfinity Series with zero expectations. Neither he nor anyone at Joe Gibbs Racing expected the teenager to win in his first series start. Since then, the grandson of legendary team owner Joe Gibbs and son of Coy Gibbs has been on a tear. He won four Xfinity Series races in JGR’s all-star car last season, and that’s in only 18 starts. Now, the young Gibbs, an ARCA Menards Series champion, is ready for the challenge ahead as he looks to compete for a bigger title. As Gibbs prepares to take the green flag in 2022, the pressure is on.

There was a lot of stuff going on, and I didn’t expect most of it to happen. I had a fun time doing it, but it was crazy. In ARCA, it was a really cool season. I look back and I never thought I’d get 16 wins total in one whole year of racing. It was super cool, but we were making sure we were moving on to the next level.

The guys that built the race cars were super big on that deal. They helped me out a lot. Preparation and working hard is the biggest key that helped me. I was trying to speed the learning process up because I have no experience in the Xfinity car. I was preparing to be ready when I got to the track so I could win. I like the Xfinity car and how it drives with the package. I really like how the car handles when it has less grip. It takes more of a driver to drive a car like that.

To be a Toyota driver is awesome. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Toyota. They give you all of the tools you need to use. Monster Energy has been awesome. They’re great people to work with. I grew up in the motorsports and motocross world, and Monster is the biggest sponsor. I dreamed of it. For them to be my first sponsor means so much to me. They’re still with me to this day, and it’s just awesome. I was 16 or 17 when they started working with me. With Monster, they’ve always told me to be myself.

He’s taught me that the biggest key is working hard. He’s been in the same boat, winning three Super Bowls. He knows how it is. I’ve taken a lot of tips from him. There’s a lot of different stuff I’d like to talk about, but that’s between me and my grandfather.

I feel like growing up the way I did, there are a lot of people I could’ve looked up to. But they were so close to me. I feel like with role models and heroes, you keep them at a distance and that’s what makes them special. I wasn’t able to meet him, but I feel like I have this connection with him with all of the little details about how he drove. I have a relationship with him that way.