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LOUDON, NH – JULY 17: Joe Gibbs, owner of the 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Reser s Fine Foods Toyota speaks after the Crayon 301 on July 17, 2023, at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire. Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire AUTO: JUL 17 NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Cup Series Crayon 301 EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon482230717048201
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LOUDON, NH – JULY 17: Joe Gibbs, owner of the 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Reser s Fine Foods Toyota speaks after the Crayon 301 on July 17, 2023, at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire. Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire AUTO: JUL 17 NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Cup Series Crayon 301 EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon482230717048201
Failing to earn a playoff berth in his rookie season, Joe Gibbs has taken away his grandson’s advantages. 2023 unraveled to be what none of us fans expected it to be, and Joe Gibbs Racing‘s fans are no exception. While the team’s Xfinity Series sensation was promoted to a full-time Cup Series role, the young driver has had his highs and lows, so to speak.
Though the 20-year-old was able to rack up wins in NASCAR’s second-tier division, his time at the elite level wasn’t too bright. But considering this is his rookie season, the youngster has performed pretty well. However, as we headed to Darlington for the playoff opener, the JGR boss took away his grandson, Ty Gibbs, privileges, handing them over to a more capable driver.
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Joe Gibbs swaps Ty Gibbs’ crew for a more capable driver
NASCAR’s silly season is slowly changing gears as we reach the playoff opener at Darlington. And so are the teams; in an effort to make the most out of the playoff rounds, teams and drivers are doing everything at their will. Joe Gibbs Racing looks like the first to implement a critical change.
The coach, Joe Gibbs, who gave his grandson, Ty Gibbs, his best pit crew, has taken it back from the 20-year-old. Entering his rookie season after a successful Xfinity Series campaign, Gibbs’ was slated to make it into the playoffs. Unfortunately for the youngster, that did not come to fruition, as the Xfinity Series champ wrecked out of the race after the horrendous crash at the end of Stage 2 at Daytona.
#NASCAR … Joe Gibbs Racing swaps pit crews of Christopher Bell and Ty Gibbs ahead of the playoffs.https://t.co/WH5Wq711SU
— Dustin Long (@dustinlong) August 29, 2023
While the crash took out both Gibbs and Ryan Blaney, Joe Gibbs has decided to swap the #54 crew with Christopher Bell‘s #20 crew. With his move, Bell, who is 7th in the rankings for 2014, will now have one of the fastest crews on the field.
Also, this will now give JGR’s road racing sensation an even greater chance to spear his way into the championship rounds, given Gibbs’s exceptional pit crew. To put things into perspective, Ty Gibbs’ crew won the NASCAR Pit Crew Challenge at NWB earlier this year, changing all 4 tires in a blistering 13.012-second window.
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Is Ty Gibbs’ bump to the Cup Series too soon?
There are levels in every competition. And Joe Gibbs’ youngest driver can certainly resonate with this notion. While the youngster won his Xfinity Series championship last year, the JGR driver has seen his fair share of ups and downs in his rookie season in the organization’s top-tier division.
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CHARLOTTE, NC – SEPTEMBER 20: Ty Gibbs 54 of Joe Gibbs Racing speaks to the media during the NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Xfinity Series Playoff Media Day on Sep 20, 2022, at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, NC. Photo by David Jensen/Icon Sportswire AUTO: SEP 20 NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff Media Day Icon220920011
Though the community was skeptical about Joe Gibbs’ promoting his grandson to the elite division given his age and inexperience, the driver has had fair success as well. He fell 2 spots short of making the playoff cutline with 7 top-10 finishes and an average finish of 18. On the flip side, Gibbs is the only driver in the Toyota camp to make the cutline.
WATCH THIS STORY: Brad Keselowski reveals major objective as RFK Racing challenges the reign of Rick Hendrick & Joe Gibbs
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However, when you look at his Xfinity track record, one might be skeptical about the driver considering his immature flares and feud with Dale Earnhardt Jr.‘s driver, Sam Mayer. The driver is often the target of criticism for his brashness and careless attitude. This approach has earned him quite a few adversaries.
Long story short, the young Gibbs certainly has what it takes to be in the Cup Series, but it seems like he is rough around the edges at times and certainly needs some time to shine.
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