“I’m Going to Go Hammer Down”: Ty Gibbs Targets a Bounce-Back 2026 Season After Struggles Last Year

Ty Gibbs entered the NASCAR Cup Series three and a half years ago and has already competed in three seasons as a full-time driver for Joe Gibbs Racing. Yet, so far, he has failed to replicate the success he enjoyed during his Xfinity tenure. In the only season he drove the No. 54 Toyota full-time in the Xfinity Series back in 2022, Gibbs won the Championship after bagging seven wins. Across the second-tier series, the JGR driver has managed to secure 12 triumphs in 66 starts.

On the contrary, in the Cup Series, even after 123 starts, the younger Gibbs has not managed to win a single race yet. Gibbs’s performance improved in 2024, as he cracked the playoffs for the first time before getting eliminated after the Round of 16, and finished the season in 15th position, after wrapping his rookie full-time campaign in 18th in 2023.

But then, last year, his performance dropped even further: he neither qualified for the playoffs nor matched his rookie-season showing, finishing P19. Now entering his fourth NASCAR Cup Series season, Gibbs looks to rebound from last year’s downturn.

Talking to RACER, he said, “2025 wasn’t really a great year for us, unfortunately. We made some changes towards the end and we were running really strong at the last couple races of the year. We’re starting off this year kind of with the same deal, so I’m real excited for this year and to see how it goes. It’s all part of the process.”

“I’m only 23, so in my fourth full-time year there has been a lot learned and want to be looking for success in 2026. I’m going to go hammer down and work hard and try to outwork these guys and beat them. Hopefully we can knock a couple of race wins off and maybe even more that,” he continued.

Given the reintroduced format demands week-after-week consistency from drivers, the younger Gibbs understands that he needs to elevate his game to that standard. Despite struggling last season, he is positive, believing that adversity can build strength and that competitors need to keep pushing forward and figuring things out.

For now, his attention centers on the upcoming Daytona 500, which might be one of his best shots. In his previous three Daytona 500 starts, Gibbs has managed to finish two of them in the top 20. After that, his focus would shift to Atlanta, and given his reliable performance at COTA, Gibbs appears thoroughly prepared with his strategy mapped out.

Since last off-season, he has been grinding on dirt tracks, attempting to capture the momentum that Christopher Bell and Kyle Larson harness from their dirt-track racing backgrounds.

However, while things have not yet worked out in his favor, maybe the chase format, where he may have to prioritize finishing races stronger and consistently without engaging in risky maneuvers to win, could unlock the breakthrough he desperately seeks.

About the author

Neha Dwivedi

Neha Dwivedi is an experienced NASCAR Journalist at The SportsRush, having penned over 5500 articles on the sport to date. She was a seasoned writer long before she got into the world of NASCAR. Although she loves to see Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch win the races, she equally supports the emerging talents in the CARS Late Model and ARCA Menards Series.. For her work in NASCAR she has earned accolades from journalists like Susan Wade of The Athletic, as well as NASCAR drivers including Thad Moffit and Corey Lajoie. Her favorite moment from NASCAR was witnessing Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. win the championship trophies. Outside the racetrack world, Neha immerses herself in the literary world, exploring both fiction and non-fiction.

Read More