Having finished his second full-time Cup season in 15th place last year, following an 18th-place finish in 2023, Ty Gibbs is currently engaged on dirt tracks. The shift comes in the wake of Chase Briscoe taking over the #19 Toyota next season and Joe Gibbs’s decision to revise his policy, allowing JGR drivers more freedom to race outside of NASCAR.
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Although Gibbs started his career on go-karts across asphalt and dirt tracks, he finds returning to dirt a hard but familiar challenge after years of stock car racing. He sees parallels between this and his experiences in NASCAR. Speaking with Flo Racing ahead of his Chili Bowl debut in the #81 fielded by CB Industries, Gibbs reflected on his recent practice sessions:
“It was really fun. Luckily, I got to spend time getting ready for this race and having a little bit more time. This is just my second midget race, the other one was at Ventura. I actually got to run some laps at Millbridge (Speedway in North Carolina) this week and get a little bit of practice.”
“But nothing really replicates this place. We didn’t get that many laps, but it’s pretty similar to how the Cup stuff is. Everything’s short now, just gotta make the best of it,” he added, reflecting on his first in-person experience at the quarter-mile dirt oval after only having simulator opportunities before.
𝑻𝒚 𝑮𝒊𝒃𝒃𝒔' 𝑪𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒊 𝑩𝒐𝒘𝒍 𝑫𝒆𝒃𝒖𝒕: @NASCAR Cup Series driver @TyGibbs is at the SageNet Center making his #ChiliBowl debut this week.
So how is it going? We caught up with him after his first laps 👇 pic.twitter.com/l6I8L5Sq5D
— FloRacing (@FloRacing) January 12, 2025
Though some initially criticized Ty for potentially securing his NASCAR spot through his grandfather, Joe Gibbs, it seems his recent performances and unassuming nature are gradually endearing him to the audience.
One fan expressed their approval on his interview post, remarking, “Been a long time since we’ve seen Ty so happy. Love it. Good luck to him and his team.” Another simply noted, “Sounds like he’s having fun.”
Meanwhile, a third fan offered praise for his media presence, saying, “Another great Flo interview. How can you not like this young man. He has grow up in front of us. The comment on his dad & old dirt times was priceless. @JoeGibbsRacing & @MonsterEnergy must be proud of him repping them. + Shoutouts to @CBellRacing @ABR_teams @KyleLarsonRacin.”
While adapting to the midget racing format is a journey for Gibbs, especially given the vast difference between the 3,300-pound stock car in the Cup Series and a 900-pound midget, he still has a day left to fine-tune his preparations before the qualifying night on January 14.
