Joe Gibbs’ grandson is on a stellar path. Ty Gibbs already toppled his own stats in his Cup Series debut last year, when he had 10 top-tens and 4 top-fives along with a Rookie of the Year title. In 2024, the young Gibbs flaunt 12 top-tens and 8 top-fives so far, having forayed into the playoffs. But his first break in NASCAR was in Xfinity, where he now holds a position of authority.

Picking up a win on your debut race at the 2021 Xfinity Daytona race is no mean feat. Ty Gibbs went on to accumulate 12 wins in the same series. However, his new role of management in Xfinity may not be as stellar as his own runs, given the potentially weak recruitment.

Is Ty Gibbs’ driving not up to the mark?

The grandson of football coach Joe Gibbs and the son of Coy Gibbs, Ty Gibbs, was misconstrued for his privilege in the sport. However, he worked his way to Xfinity success, undergoing harsh training to face NASCAR’s second level. Now as Gibbs reflects on a remarkable 2024 Cup Series run, he is ready to re-enter Xfinity—but this time in an ownership capacity. Having achieved his Xfinity trophies in the No. 54 Toyota Supra earlier, he is now ready to watch it get wheeled to success by Taylor Gray, the No. 17 driver for Tricon Garage in the Craftsman Truck Series.

As per FANBUZZ reports, Joe Gibbs Racing has confirmed that Ty Gibbs will be the listed owner of the No. 54 Toyota GR Supra for the 2025 Xfinity Series season. Taylor Gray will be behind the wheel, making the jump from the Craftsman Truck Series to the next level of NASCAR competition.

However, NASCAR expert Eric Estepp suggests that Gray may not be at the level to wheel a Joe Gibbs Racing car in Xfinity. He said in a recent video: “Taylor Gray will drive the No. 54 Supra full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series next year…a full-time Joe Gibbs Racing seat. The numbers this year are not very impressive. Taylor Gray is in the playoffs, but he doesn’t have a win yet this season with Tricon Garage equipment.” 

For the past year, Taylor Gray has picked up 11 top-tens and 7 top-fives, battling a slew of playoff contenders in 6th rank. However, his laps led are only 25, whereas Ty Gibbs’ Xfinity debut year witnessed 244 laps led.

In comparison, Gray’s teammate Corey Heim shows greater promise – he holds six Truck wins this year. This may be linked to Heim’s tension with JGR driver Chandler Smith in Atlanta, but his stats are still worthy for a JGR car.

Estepp continued, “His teammate Corey Heim has six wins, is leading the stands. Taylor has also made a dozen Xfinity starts in the No. 19 and has two top-five finishes. He’s only 19 years old – still very young, room to grow…the results have been more promising than his brother Tanner…But the numbers do not impress.”

This debate is fuelled more by the expectations surrounding Taylor Gray‘s Xfinity debut. Especially because his new owner’s debut was spectacular, to say the least.

Gibbs is raising the bar high

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When Ty Gibbs was just starting out in the ARCA Series, he bore the brunt of doubt. The NASCAR fandom and even veterans like Dale Jarrett claimed he was just a spoilt brat, knowing that Joe Gibbs is a three-time Vince Lombardi-winning football coach and 214-time Xfinity race-winning team owner. Being his grandson, it was natural to assume that Gibbs was cocooned in luxury. But that was far from the case. Ty spent his formative years driving Late Model Stocks for blue-collar racer Greg Marlow out of a modest garage. They won twice together, which primed his ARCA career, where Ty Gibbs had 8 victories.

This uphill climb to his very first Xfinity start in 2021 at Daytona International Speedway paid off. Gibbs outdueled defending champion Austin Cindric just hours after strapping into a race car without a single practice session. After he had clinched his victory, fellow driver Josh Williams hugged him as the latter understood his struggles. “I wanted to stick up for the kid because I don’t care who you are or where you come from, what he did was damn impressive. Yes, there are kids out there who are more fortunate than others. He has a great opportunity and he goes out there and makes the most of it. There have been a lot of kids who have just as much sponsorship money and haven’t gotten the results he got in one start, against one of the best young drivers out there. He deserves it.”

Evidently, Taylor Gray will have a lot on his plate wheeling the iconic No. 54 Toyota next year. Let us see if he can manage to live up to Ty Gibbs’ expectations.