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Ty Gibbs will mark his third Cup Series start this weekend at Michigan International Speedway, sitting in for Kurt Busch once more. The #45 Monster Energy Toyota TRD for 23XI Racing was handed over to Gibbs at Pocono after Busch crashed during the qualifying race. The crash left the 44-year-old with concussion-like symptoms, making him unfit to compete.
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Kurt Busch was expected to be back on track in Indianapolis, but he wasn’t cleared and it seems the stay has been extended to the third week. While he’s away, Ty Gibbs has been exhibiting impressive performances behind the Next Gen car. His debut at Pocono was a success, scoring a top 20 finish, finishing in 18th place, and later advancing to 16th place.
The 19-year-old’s performance caught the attention of Cup veterans, including Bill Elliot, who applauded Gibbs for his respectable racing. Despite his impressive performances in the Xfinity Series, many didn’t expect much from him as a young racer. Denny Hamlin, the 23XI co-owner, admitted Gibbs was not the team’s first pick and they just made a tough decision at the last minute, and it seems their decision was the right one.
According to Hamlin, Gibbs might not be ready for the top-tier series, but his results show he deserves a chance. In Indianapolis, he maintained his result, finishing 18th but later advancing to 17th place after Ross Chastain’s disqualification.
Ty Gibbs' performances in the 2022 NASCAR Series season
The 19-year-old is currently in his sophomore year in NASCAR and he’s among the most successful drivers. He has four wins this season, securing his playoff spot to compete for the Xfinity Championship this year. Last year, he wrapped the season with four wins, becoming one of the few rookies to score more than two wins in a single Xfinity season.
Before his Cup Series debut, he battled Noah Gragson at Pocono and claimed a second-place finish. After the race, Dale Earnhardt Jr. admitted he was impressed with Ty Gibbs’s last lap clean battle. Gragson and Gibbs have a history of wrecking each other and being in a position to wreck Gragson and not do it, impressed Dale Earnhardt Jr.
As a teen driver, Joe Gibbs' grandson is one of the most aggressive Xfinity drivers, with controversies here and there. On April 8th this year at Martinsville, Gibbs made headlines after he punched JR Motorsports' driver Sam Mayer several times for an on-track incident where Mayer shoved Gibbs, eliminating him from the winning stage.
A few days later, NASCAR whipped him with a $5,000 fine. The fine, however, was not for fighting; instead, it was for a pit road mistake. This weekend he’ll be on the track back-to-back in the Cup Series and Xfinity Series.
