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Joe Gibbs, founder and owner of Joe Gibbs Racing, recently expressed his thoughts on his grandson Ty Gibbs' recent performance slump in the NASCAR Cup Series. The 22-year-old Ty drives the No. 54 Toyota Camry full-time and is in his third season with the Huntersville, North Carolina-based organization.
The seventh weekend of the 2025 NASCAR season got done and dusted at Martinsville Speedway. While JGR's veteran driver Denny Hamlin headlined the Cup race with his dominant run for a maiden win, it also witnessed the team's No. 20 driver Christopher Bell finishing second. Moreover, the team's new addition Chase Briscoe managed a top 10 at the short track in Virginia.
Whereas the former Xfinity Series champion Ty secured a P13, his best result in the last 12 races for Joe Gibbs' outfit. In light of that, NASCAR Hall of Famer Gibbs, worth $70 million (as per Celebrity Net Worth), was asked about the No. 54 team's rough patch. He said (via Bob Pockrass on X):
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"There's no secret here. We've gone through a tough time to start the year. Everything that's happened to us, not much gone our way."
"When that happens, I know what I'm studying through all of that. That is who surrounds us, who is there with us, who is working their rear-end off at the race shop to try and get us back. Those are the people that I just really, really appreciate."
"Anytime you go through a tough time, for me, that is something I really want to look at. Who are the guys there. We got some of those guys that are leading us out of this. It's a big deal for us," added Joe Gibbs.
While the results aren't what the Toyota roster is expecting, JGR's new competition director sees a silver lining in the progress made by Ty Gibbs and Co.
Joe Gibbs Racing's executive weighs in on Ty Gibbs' NASCAR slump
In a conversation with NASCAR.com, Chris Gabehart, Denny Hamlin's former crew chief and now the competition director, compared Ty Gibbs' performance from the end of the 2024 season to the initial races of the current year.
He highlighted the Las Vegas race when the No. 54 machine's brake rotor faulted that derailing their hopes of contending for a decent finish:
"It looks very similar to last year, but it is quite different...They weren’t running good, but with 15 to go, they were running 10th. That’s not what they were going to do six months ago. They weren’t made of that same moxie. They weren’t going to wake up and find that opportunity to catch a break and have a shot at a top 10. Now, ultimately, ‘bad luck’ bit him again."
"But the key is they found a way to get to the end of the day with a shot to salvage their day and that is really what is foundationally important of any good team," added Chris Gabehart.
Meanwhile, Joe Gibbs Racing and the team will return in action for the season's eighth race, for the Goodyear 400 event at Darlington Raceway on April 6.
