It was two years ago at Pocono Raceway when Ty Gibbs made his NASCAR Cup Series debut. He spent the next several months filling in for Kurt Busch while continuing his primary job in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, winning that championship at the end of the year. As Gibbs prepared for his rookie season in the Cup Series, the 20-year-old had the look of a NASCAR superstar in the making.
Fast forward to 2024 and Gibbs finds himself in an interesting place in his career. He has already scored five top fives this season compared to four last year, and he only needs one more top 10 to match his total (10) from 2023. Gibbs has also earned 143 more points by this time in the season compared to 2023. He leaves Pocono 11th in overall points and in position for the playoffs, unlike last year where he was 19th overall and 28 points below the cut line with five races left. In many ways, Gibbs is already starting to show the potential that he flashed in the Xfinity Series.
On the other hand, Gibbs is still looking for his first Cup Series win. After two seasons’ worth of races, his best result is a second-place finish at Darlington Raceway earlier this year. As good as Gibbs has been for his age and lack of experience, it feels like he is still searching for that moment where everything clicks and he becomes a regular contender for wins. That is not intended as a criticism of him, it’s just surprising when you consider that he won his first Xfinity start and proved to be such a quick study, even in the demanding world of NASCAR’s national touring series.
Struggling to get the first win is not an uncommon experience for young drivers, even the very good ones. Recall how Chase Elliott did not win a Cup Series race until his 99th start, which came during his third full-time season. Elliott was close many times before, racking up 27 top-five finishes before finally claiming that first victory at Watkins Glen International. Yet once Elliott did win, the floodgates opened. He finished first two more times in 2018, then earned a combined 15 victories over the next four seasons. Gibbs is in good company compared to Elliott’s journey to the winner’s circle, especially since Elliott’s first win came when he was 22. Gibbs still will not turn 22 until October. He has time to figure things out.
The most immediate concern for Gibbs and the No. 54 team is getting their playoff spot secured. Although he is knocking on the door of the top 10 in overall…
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