Veteran Joe Gibbs Racing employee and crew chief of the racing outfit’s #20 Xfinity Series entry in the sport, Tyler Allen has been promoted to the big leagues as the 37-year-old prepares to take on the NASCAR Cup Series competition alongside Ty Gibbs.
Advertisement
The eight-time victor in the junior ranks will be seen heading the #54 crew from atop the pit box and is set to replace Chris Gayle, who is headed to the #11 team within the organization with Gibbs’ teammate Denny Hamlin.
The move comes as a reshuffle within to extract the most out of their drivers and attack for the ultimate prize in the sport this coming season. With former championship experience in the form of a race engineer for Kyle Busch during the erstwhile JGR driver’s 2019 title challenge, the Washington native also has five final 4 appearances to his name as well.
🚨 NEWS 🚨
Tyler Allen will be the crew chief for Ty Gibbs and the No. 54 team in the #NASCAR Cup Series beginning in 2025. pic.twitter.com/pzGtRQ3owU— Joe Gibbs Racing (@JoeGibbsRacing) December 2, 2024
“This opportunity has been a dream of mine since starting here at JGR 10 years ago, and I’m thankful for the support and guidance I’ve received from my mentors, teammates, and everyone along the way. Ty has shown a lot of speed and potential the last two years, and I look forward to building on that experience,” said Allen as he previewed his times with the team.
Jason Ratcliff will be rejoining crew chief duties for the #54 Xfinity Series team after spending time on the sidelines since 2023. He will be paired up with Taylor Gray come 2025.
“After a year away from the track, I’m eager to return to the pit box every weekend. Taylor has the talent and determination to excel in NASCAR, and it’s our mission to help him achieve that success,” said the 72-time victor in the Xfinity and Cup Series combined.
“We have an exciting young and talented team”
Team owner Joe Gibbs recently relayed his thoughts on how his grandson’s #54 team is shaping up to be for Ty Gibbs’ third year racing in the sport’s highest echelon. Armed with Tyler Allen and the support of veteran drivers like Hamlin and Christopher Bell, the Xfinity Series champion is certain to log his first Cup Series victory soon, especially given JGR’s performance levels every year.
“Tyler Allen was successful at the Cup level with us while working under Adam Stevens and was impressive last season in the Xfinity Series leading that 20 team to eight wins while working with a number of different drivers. We have an exciting young and talented team on the #54 car,” said Coach Gibbs, previewing the upcoming season.
It remains to be seen in 2025 is the season where Ty Gibbs logs in his first Cup Series victory after 2 full-time seasons in the big leagues.
