The 2024 NASCAR Playoffs fight is heating up with only 6 races left in the regular season. After a scintillating weekend in Grant Park 165, the action has now made its way to the Pocono Raceway, where we now know who will start the race from the pole.

Ty Gibbs will have the pole advantage in Sunday’s race after he topped the charts with his fastest lap in Saturday’s qualifying session. After securing the pole, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver had an exclusive interview with EssentiallySports where he shared his feelings about Martin Truex Jr. leaving after this season. For the past two years, since joining the Cup Series, the 21-year-old has had Truex as a mentor. The JGR racer is certainly appreciative of Truex’s contribution to the team and has revealed his relationship with him.

“Yeah, I’ve really looked up to Martin in my younger career. I really like Martin, and he’s been really good to my race team and my family. So I really appreciate Martin a lot. I think he’s a really great person, and so we’ll see what happens, but I wish him the best of luck,” Gibbs told Bharat Aggarwal of EssentiallySports.

Ty Gibbs completed a fast lap of 170.039 mph in just 52.929 seconds, making him the only driver to reach the 52-second bracket while going over 170 mph in the round. His teammate Truex Jr. wasn’t far either, as the veteran finished third behind William Byron. This might be one of the last times fans see the JGR duo finish in the top 3 of a qualifier, but the future is not all doom and gloom for them, for sure.

Following Truex Junior’s retirement, Gibbs will be partnered with Chase Briscoe. In his exclusive chat with EssentiallySports, the NASCAR All-Star Open winner also talked about his future running mate and looked excited as he revealed the prospect of teaming up with the SHR driver.

Ty Gibbs opens up about Chase Briscoe joining JGR

For Joe Gibbs Racing, 2025 will herald a year of new beginnings. With Truex Jr. departing and Ty Gibbs on the wheel, the addition of the 2021 Cup Series Rookie of the Year signals a commitment to nurturing young blood. When Bharat Aggarwal further asked about Chase Briscoe joining JGR next year, Ty Gibbs said, “Not too much, but a little bit.” Given the fast-paced life of a racer, it’s understandable that he hasn’t had much chance to catch up with Briscoe. After all, for now, they’re enemies on the track.

“We don’t really have a lot of time to kinda sit down and talk, but I feel like, no. He’s definitely excited for him to come,” Gibbs concluded.

The Stewart-Haas Racing driver finished the qualifier at 28th, just ahead of Bubba Wallace. Heading into Sunday’s race, Briscoe is holding on to his 16th spot in the playoffs, standing at 433 points. With Kyle Busch breathing down his neck only 10 points adrift, the Great American Getaway 400 race day will be crucial for Briscoe. Stay tuned, as the EssentiallySports on-ground team is set to bring you the fastest updates from Pocono.