Ty Gibbs. However you feel about him, one thing is or certain. The kid is an extremely talented racer. Take last Saturday (July 2) for instance.
At Road America, Gibbs went out and beat defending NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson at a road course, proving that his talent is not only real, but it is versatile as well. He’s done everything he’s needed to move up to the Cup Series, so with that we ask is it time for Joe Gibbs Racing to move Gibbs to Cup in 2023?
Stephen Stumpf and Michael Nebbia debate.
Wait until 2024
From the moment that he won his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut, it was clear that Gibbs had Cup Series star potential.
He has already racked up eight Xfinity wins in just 34 career starts, and he is coming off a win at Road America where he passed Larson on the last lap of overtime.
At just 19 years old, Gibbs already has an impressive list of accolades — but that shouldn’t be the reason to rush him into Cup just yet.
For starters, Martin Truex Jr. is returning for 2023. The No. 19 was the most likely landing spot for Gibbs, but that ship has sailed. The rest of Joe Gibbs Racing’s lineup should also return next year unless Kyle Busch is unable to find a sponsor or the team decides to make a sudden driver change in the No. 20 car. For now, there isn’t room for Gibbs unless JGR loans him out to another team.
Second, JGR should remember what happened after rushing one of its former prospects to Cup.
Joey Logano was hailed as the greatest thing since sliced bread as a teenager, and he initially lived up to hype by winning in his third Xfinity Series start. But after just a part-time Xfinity Series season in 2008, Logano was sent to Cup in 2009 at 19 years old. While he did score two wins in four seasons, Logano struggled to find his footing and failed to reach the lofty expectations that were set. He was out of JGR after 2012, and he only became a star in 2013 after a change of scenery at Team Penske.
The same story applies to Erik Jones.
He had two full seasons worth of experience in Xfinity and the Camping World Truck Series before moving to Cup, and he too scored just two wins in his first four seasons. And just like Logano, Jones was given the boot after year four.
Perhaps the same story is playing out today. Bell also had a ton of hype after winning a Truck title and 16 Xfinity races over a span of three years, but it is now his third year in Cup and he has scored one win. To his credit, Bell has been running top 10 for…
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