Steve Letarte and Jeff Burton empathize with Ty Gibbs. The grandson of team owner Joe Gibbs just barely missed out on earning his first career NASCAR Cup win this past Sunday at Michigan.
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Another Joe Gibbs Racing driver, veteran driver Denny Hamlin, wound up beating Chris Buescher and Gibbs to the finish line, capturing his third win of the season.
But Gibbs was oh, so close, finishing a very respectable third place. At 22 years old, half the age of the 44-year-old Hamlin – who is also the oldest active full-time driver in the Cup Series – the third-generation Gibbs family racer couldn’t help but be disappointed.
Yet he also knows that he can challenge for a win and that sooner or later, he will earn his first Cup trophy.
“Ty Gibbs was frustrated after the race,” Letarte said on Monday’s NASCAR Inside the Race Live.
“I don’t know how to take that. I like frustration when you’re not winning but I feel like I need a little glass half full out of the young man. He’s got a lot going, got a lot of talent, (had a) good day. I like that he’s like, ‘How did my teammate (Hamlin) have enough fuel and I not have enough fuel?’ I get the argument; I get the conversation. Should Ty Gibbs feel good about a third?”
What Did Ty’s Mama Have To Say?
Heather Gibbs, Ty’s mother, said after the race that her son had nothing to feel bad about with his lofty finish. Sure, it wasn’t a win, but it also wasn’t a 38th place finish, either.
And Ty himself manned up, lamenting about missing the checkered flag, but still had nothing to be ashamed about, either.
“It’s just unfortunate because I feel like we had the capability to go do it,” Gibbs said. “I feel like we showed we were fast enough to go do it. It’s definitely frustrating, but it’s just part of it sometimes.
Burton liked the younger Gibbs’ attitude.
“For sure, 100%, he should feel good about a third,” Burton stated. “I like the fact that that’s not good enough, he wants to do more. That’s all good stuff and I think when he gets back to the shop today or even last night on the airplane, there’ll be a conversation about fuel.
“Look, this is hard, Cup racing is so difficult and you’re not just going to pop (at the start). Most people, it happens occasionally every now and then (where) you’re not going to pop in this series and be successful right off the bat. You’re going to have to get there and Tai Gibbs is getting there.
“So if you’re around Ty Gibbs, man you’re like, ‘Look, we just finished third, we had pace, we know we’ve got to get better, let’s just keep working,’ because I believe Ty Gibbs is going to be just fine.
“This is one of those kind of forgettable days that shouldn’t be forgotten. That’s a great day, it’s a decent points day, he ran inside the top 10 barely eighth and seventh in the two stages, ran fourth, scored a bunch of points, you know.
“This is a guy that every summer it seems like he is in the frying pan to make the playoffs. For a guy who’s very vocal about his mental preparation and trying to stay positive, I love that he has a huge microphone, he’s willing to pound that drum.
“And if you hate him, that’s fine but for an athlete to admit vulnerability especially when it comes to his confidence and things like that, I applaud him that this run at Michigan is one of many runs that hopefully will take him out of the frying pan in the middle of the summer when it comes to trying to make the playoffs.”
Remember, mama always knows best, and Mama Heather has big hopes for her young man.
“There’s so much to learn,” she said. “Sundays are hard. It’s really hard to learn and (there’s) just so much to try to take in. All the veterans have so much experience, and in every race, you just get a little bit more knowledge and understanding and try to capitalize on it.
“But hopefully, the momentum will move forward. It was a great day.”
