"We've had some bad luck": Joe Gibbs' grandson makes his feelings clear ahead of Bristol race

Ty Gibbs, the grandson of team owner Joe Gibbs, addressed his rocky start to the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series campaign ahead of the Food City 500 at Bristol. Now in his third full-time season with Joe Gibbs Racing, the 22-year-old acknowledged that results haven’t reflected the team’s true potential, attributing much of the early-season struggles to misfortune rather than lack of speed.

Ahead of his qualifying run at the Bristol Motor Speedway, he spoke to media about his tough start, citing bad luck early on:

"I definitely think that we're really strong. We just have had some bad luck basically in the beginning of the year. So it doesn't look great, but we'll be really good. I'm not worried about it," Ty Gibbs told NBC Sports' Dustin Long before qualifying at Bristol.

Gibbs’ honesty comes on the back of a difficult opening stretch to his 2025 campaign. Through eight races so far, he has recorded only one top-10 finish with an average finish of 22.00 and two DNFs at Atlanta and Phoenix. He also finished outside the top 20 in four of his first five starts this year, including a 34th-place result at COTA.

Ty Gibbs in the #54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry at Darlington Raceway. Source: Imagn

However, Joe Gibbs Racing's young star feels that he has turned the tide. After a top 15 finish in Martinsville, he was ninth at Darlington, his best finish this season. Speaking ahead of the Bristol race, Gibbs appeared upbeat about his form.

"But I'm excited for this weekend's race and it's an awesome place. We've had three great racetracks in a row. This place (Bristol) will be fun. Darlington was awesome. Martinsville's always fun, so I'm excited to show off what we're capable of doing and just gotta hammer down," he added.

Currently 26th in the points standings with 131 points, Ty Gibbs is still searching for his first win or top five finish this season. By this time last year, he already had three top five finishes. But with steady improvements in the last three weeks, the No. 54 team seems poised for a breakthrough, especially as the NASCAR Cup Series enters a stretch of short-track-heavy venues that suit his racing style.

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Joe Gibbs Racing's #54 is banking on the Bristol experience and new car chief effect

Joe Gibbs Racing driver Ty Gibbs (54) during the Goodyear 400. Source: Imagn

Bristol has been a relatively strong venue for the Joe Gibbs Racing #54 Toyota Camry driver. Ty Gibbs has had one top five finish and two top ten finishes. He has led a total of 239 laps in that time at the Tennessee short track, with a 16th-place average finish. This highlights his speed and familiarity with the half-mile concrete bullring.

In addition to past experience, Gibbs also benefits from a key addition to the No. 54 team. Team owner Joe Gibbs added former Stewart-Haas Racing car chief Robert "Cheddar" Smith to improve his grandson's win drought earlier this month.

Gibbs was asked about the impact of Smith’s arrival and had nothing but praise for his new team member:

"This is Cheddar's second week, but he has been very helpful so far. I am glad that we were fortunate to get him. I am very excited to work with Cheddar. I think he's done such a good job so far, so I'm excited for what the future holds and to watch him do his job. To finally have him on my team is really cool," Ty Gibbs said (via Peter Stratta). [2:24 onwards]

Smith's arrival was part of a broader restructuring at Joe Gibbs Racing. His technical expertise and steady presence in the garage could provide the missing link for the #54 crew in terms of consistency and execution.

Gibbs rolled off from the third row for the Bristol race after posting a qualifying time of 14.964 seconds, securing P6 on the grid. With confidence returning and momentum beginning to build, Bristol could be the track where the No. 54 team finally puts together a complete weekend.