No matter how hard he tries, the one thing that Ty Gibbs cannot change is his last name and the NASCAR history that it comes with. Now, this wouldn’t have been such a major issue, considering just how many remotely similar relations can be found in motorsports, but it does get under the critics’ radar when someone fails to perform, which Ty Gibbs has been going through for the past couple of years. However, his upgraded form in the 2026 season seems to be changing the insiders’ perspective now.
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Ty Gibbs impresses insiders
“Hands down for me. It’s Ty Gibbs,” Alexis Erickson said, speaking on who improved the most this season. One of the biggest things that had been lacking in Gibbs’ charts for a long time, apart from a race win, is consistency. But that seems to be changing this season.
Although he once again had a rough start and wasn’t exactly in the insiders’ good books, the performance that Joe Gibbs’ grandson has delivered ever since has been flattering, finishing within the top 5 in four out of the six races.
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“When you look, he opened up at Daytona, he had a finish of 23rd, Atlanta 37th, and you’re like ‘Oh man, here we go again with Ty Gibbs,” said Erickson. “I mean, this guy has had top-six finishes in the last five races, which is very unlike the Ty Gibbs that we have come to know over the past few years. So I would say no doubt Ty Gibbs is the most improved.”
Like everyone, even Erickson thought Gibbs was headed to another horrendous Cup Series year, but he has bounced back strongly. While there is still a lot of the season left, Gibbs seems poised for a strong finish in the standings with JGR.
Ty Gibbs has been involved in and around the NASCAR circle for a long time now, but his name is attached to his grandfather, and successful team owner, Joe Gibbs. This often makes it tough for him, as critics throw the ‘nepotism’ remarks a lot. However, his recent performances are a testament to how untrue the bold claims of nepotism made by critics are. Unlike the public perception, he has had to fight his way up the ranks.
Ty Gibbs has faced a lot of remarks due to his family name
Sure, Ty Gibbs has shown a massive improvement this season, but this is not the first time he has competed for the top spots in races. He marked multiple top 5 finishes even in his full-time debut season with Joe Gibbs Racing. While there were quite a few inconsistencies on his racing resume, he was visibly improving with every passing season.
And to comment on his Cup Series seat, Gibbs didn’t make his full-time debut before winning the O’Reilly Championship in the 2022 season, and prior to that, he absolutely dominated the ARCA season with a whopping 10 race wins the year prior.
While it is quite understandable that he has had his grandfather Joe Gibbs throughout all these years, it would be a bit harsh to say that he doesn’t deserve a place on the Cup Series field.
He has proven to be a race winner across all the second-tier and other national series, so there seems to be no reason not to give him a chance in the Cup Series. Besides the improvement that Ty Gibbs has shown so far this season, he might as well be on his way to victory lane.