It’s not looking good for Ty Gibbs, is it? The Joe Gibbs Racing driver hasn’t been faring well in the NASCAR Cup Series of late, with his last nine races being particularly unimpressive. Going back to October 2024, the youngster has finished 25th or worse in eight of the last nine events, highlighting his underperformance while his peers have impressed with the same equipment. With his teammate, Christopher Bell, on the verge of winning four races in a row, could the 22-year-old manage to turn his season around after his disappointing start?

Even though 32 races are remaining in the ongoing season, tensions are brewing within the Joe Gibbs Racing camp because of Gibbs’ performances. Despite the team owner being his grandfather, is it too early to rule the youngster out for a potential playoff spot later this year?

NASCAR insider urges fans to be patient with Ty Gibbs

“I mean, you’re concerned”, Heather Gibbs admitted when talking about her son’s form. The No. 54 Toyota driver has completed two full seasons in his grandfather’s team, as well as a part-time stint at 23XI Racing in 2022. Despite making plenty of appearances at the highest level, the racer has not secured a single win yet, despite finishing as runner-up at Darlington Raceway last year. While Ty Gibbs is given a longer rope than most because of his background, patience can only go so far until results can justify a seat at a top team like Joe Gibbs Racing.

Reflecting on his performances so far, Dan ‘Spider’ DiOrio from the Rubbin is Racing podcast said, “I’m not going to completely dismiss the concern over Ty Gibbs’ performance. You look at the Circuit of The Americas last year, he had a top-five finish. He was the reason why he was on my card. You look at Las Vegas this week, he was in the top 10 of last year’s race as well. I don’t know. I think he needs to kind of figure it out, but at the same time, as we say a lot on this show, it feels like it takes these guys two or three years of regular reps before they’re in a spot where they can win or actually compete.”

To be fair to Ty Gibbs, he did make the playoffs last year, albeit he was eliminated in the first round. He was 15th in the driver’s standings at the end of the season and led 417 laps, nearly quadrupling his tally of 112 laps led in 2023, as he achieved his best points finish yet. He also posted 8 top-5 finishes along with 12 top-10s in 2024, highlighting that he has it in him to consistently compete at the top. However, his teammates outperforming him is what is throwing the spotlight onto the 22-year-old’s struggles.

Christopher Bell has won three races in the opening four fixtures, while Denny Hamlin finished as runner-up at Phoenix Raceway and ran amongst the top 2 at the Daytona 500 until a last-lap wreck. Chase Briscoe, who saw a heavy penalty being overturned after the Daytona 500, qualified in first place for the season-opener, making history as the first JGR driver to do so at the ‘Great American Race’.

Taking these factors into consideration, it’s not surprising that the Joe Gibbs Racing hierarchy wants Ty Gibbs to overturn his bad form as soon as possible. The 22-year-old has a new crew chief in Tyler Allen, as his old crew chief, Chris Gayle, moved to the #11 with Denny Hamlin. Several internal changes have taken place in the team during the off-season, such as Hamlin’s old crew chief, Chris Gabehart, moving to a competition director role. Could this be a contributing factor to his results at the start of the season? Possibly. However, if results don’t improve, it won’t be surprising to see the youngster in the hot seat by the end of the year.

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Gibbs’ crew chief is optimistic about results improving

Joe Gibbs Racing is a team in transition. Martin Truex Jr. retired at the end of 2024, paving the way for Chase Briscoe in the No. 19 seat. As for the 22-year-old Ty Gibbs, Tyler Allen has taken the reigns of the No. 54 side, having previously worked with the likes of Christopher Bell, John Hunter Nemechek, Ryan Truex, and Aric Almirola.

Given the circumstances, Allen candidly said, “A lot of change. Especially through these first four (races), we’re kind of feeling it. But as we get in a rhythm and everyone settles into their roles and get the roster sorted out how we need to have it, I envision it working very smoothly. But there’s hiccups along the way, as you would expect with such a new group. So that’s kind of why I’m looking forward to getting a little deeper into the season and getting into a rhythm with these guys.”

Ty Gibbs has also had his share of bad luck. The youngster was 10th in the last lap at Daytona International Speedway but suffered damage during a crash that forced him to settle for 16th. He wrecked out in Atlanta after driving three wide down the frontstretch, forcing a 32nd-place result. Circuit of The Americas wasn’t much better either, as his Toyota incurred damage in the very first lap in Turn 1 while he suffered a failed brake rotor at Phoenix Raceway. However, if there is one driver who can claw his way out of the rut, it’s Gibbs, and he will be hoping to turn his fortunes around in the upcoming Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.