After winning the Rookie of the Year last season, Ty Gibbs has not let his momentum fall in 2024, even though it’s only his second season in the Cup Series. Besides a top-10 finish, Gibbs swept both the stages at Bristol and proved that he is a competitor worth watching out for. Just a week before the Food City 500, the #54 driver even picked up an impressive top-3 finish at Phoenix Raceway.
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But it’s not just for Gibbs. All three Joe Gibbs Racing drivers have come in the top-10 in the last two races, with two of those drivers, i.e., Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin, winning at Phoenix and Bristol, respectively. Martin Truex Jr., too, managed to register a P7 and a runner-up finish in those two races. So what’s the secret behind the Toyota team’s success?
According to Gibbs, it all comes down to JGR’s aero department, the new Toyota Camry XSE, and the cultural diversity of the drivers on the team.
“We need to give all the thanks to Joe Gibbs Racing on their Aero department alongside with Toyota with this new Camry XSE body; they’ve done a great job, and seeing the work pay off is really great,” said Gibbs to the media ahead of the race in COTA.
“Our team is great, we have a lot of great teammates… a lot of different characters which is really cool and I think that’s really helpful on a team. I feel like we all think differently.”
Ty Gibbs eyes COTA; reveals the reason behind his road course prowess
The Circuit of The Americas is going to be a welcome ground for the 21-year-old racer and for good reason. This young driver bagged four street circuit victories in the Xfinity Series and has displayed equal valor in the Cup Series as well. Last year, he finished ninth at the 3.426-mile racetrack in Austin, Texas.
“We’ve been really strong,” Gibbs admitted as per Racer. “I feel like last year, we were really good at the road courses. Indy; we were really fast, but we never got a caution again. We’ve been really good at the road courses; just have to hit it right, hit the right thing and then hopefully that will lead to more success.”
But how is someone as young as Gibbs, so good at road courses? “It started on sim racing with my buddy, Austin Green,” Gibbs said, speaking of his road course expertise. “We would always do those joint sessions together and practice. It could be in any different car. It could be dirt racing, asphalt racing, ovals or road courses. We were always really fast, and he was always just a little bit better than I was, so that is what helped me.”
Will all those hours of sim-racing prove to be beneficial for Gibbs at COTA?
Well, we can only wait and watch.
