As rumours circulate around the possible Kyle Busch replacement, all eyes are focused on Ty Gibbs, who is most likely to take over the reins. However, as a NASCAR veteran explains, Joe Gibbs Racing will not be using the number 18 for the self-proclaimed Jesus Xfinity Champion.
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Wallace said, “Joe Gibbs Racing says, okay, right now, the 18 number that we’ve had with Kyle Busch and that M&M’s car. We’re gonna put it on the back burner. We’re not gonna use it for a while. It’s gonna be there if we need it. But the number 18 is gone for a while as you and I know it. So you’re saying Herman what’s the next number. I do like Joe Gibbs racing move here.”
“So we all know that Ty Gibbs who just won the Xfinity Championship. We do know that he is replacing Kyle Bush. What better way for a fresh start than a new number? So the new number is going to be Ty Gibbs’s, number 54. You say to yourself, why? what? how come? Well, that’s a lot of pressure on Ty.”
Read More: Self-Proclaimed “Jesus” Ty Gibbs Proves Worth As Kyle Busch’s Successor Amid Outrage Over Petty Move
What would be the pressure on Ty Gibbs?
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While Gibbs’s performance has been on the mark, he even won the Xfinity Championship this year, but his reputation as a human and a driver are far too controversial, mounting significant pressure on the Gibbs grandson if he sat in the 18 car.
Kyle Busch’s divorce from JGR had left many fans sour and the thought of his replacement being the guy who called himself Jesus can start Gibbs’s season on the wrong foot. Ty Gibbs has been notorious for over the top aggressive antics. Plus his apologies, which mean absolutely nothing, also add fuel to the fire.
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Since Busch has been driving the 18 for the last 15 years, it is obvious that even after his departure, the two-time Cup champion would still be associated with that number for the fans. And if the fans, notice Ty Gibbs run in the 18, it would only add insult to injury and mount significant pressure on the young replacement.