Ty Gibbs has made seven NASCAR starts at Phoenix Raceway. Three came in the Xfinity Series between 2021 and 2022, where he earned a victory. His four Cup Series appearances in 2023 and 2024 included a best finish of third last season. Now, the 22-year-old Joe Gibbs Racing driver is eager for another shot at the one-mile track this Sunday.
“Yeah, I love Phoenix. It’s a sentimental place for me,” Gibbs says. “I just enjoy being out there. I’ve had great success there, but I’ve also had really bad luck. I’m excited for it, though.”
The start of the new Cup season has been challenging for Gibbs. A 16th-place finish in the Daytona 500 was followed by a crash at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Last weekend at Circuit of The Americas, he crossed the line in 34th.
“It’s been tough so far,” Gibbs admits. “We haven’t had great finishes, but we’re going to be really good. We came from two speedway races, which I feel are a luck-of-the-draw deal, and then last week we got wrecked. I think we are going to be really strong. I’m excited for the rest of the year. I’m ready to get into a consistent schedule where we’re racing every week. I just want to get after it. I want to show off my skill set, my team’s hard work, and make it happen.”
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Lately, Gibbs has been vocal about experimenting with different setups and making changes within the No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing team to improve performance.
“Yeah, for sure we’ve been doing that,” he says. “We made some adjustments to our team and brought in new people. I have a new crew chief, Tyler Allen, and I really like working with him. He’s super chill and works really hard. I feel like he’s pretty methodical in the way he thinks about racing. It’s cool to have a different perspective.”
After Phoenix, Gibbs will turn his attention to upcoming races at Las Vegas, Homestead-Miami, Darlington, and Bristol.
“I’m pumped for all this,” Gibbs says. “The next month is full of badass tracks, so we’re going to make the best of it. Hopefully, we can win at some of them and see what we can do.
“It’s tough to find an edge out there,” he continues. “We all have the same cars and the same equipment, so it comes down to who figures it out the best. Of course, it’s on my team, but a lot of it is on me, and I’m working as hard as I can to get it right.”
Gibbs, often a polarizing figure in the Cup Series, has dealt with criticism from NASCAR fans and the media. He believes he’s misunderstood but doesn’t let it affect him.
“I think if people got to know me beyond what they see on the outside, they’d think I’m pretty cool. But I don’t really care what they think,” Gibbs says. “That’s their perspective, and they have the right to their opinion. We all have freedom of speech and thought. But I’m a pretty cool guy. Maybe sometimes I don’t come across that way, but I feel like I am.”
Gibbs remains focused on one goal—winning.
“I’m here to win,” he states. “I was raised to come into this sport and succeed. I want to win at everything I do. But I also want to be respectful, humble, and just make it happen. I want to be a good person, but at the same time, I want to beat the competition.”
Despite the ups and downs, Gibbs is grateful for his journey.
“I’m happy every day. I’m so blessed. More than I could have ever imagined,” he says. “I’m surrounded by great people. I just want to work as hard as I can, have as much success as I can, and enjoy the ride. I also have to give a shout-out to our brother Dingo (Luke Trembath). We lost him, and he was a great guy. I’ve had people like that in my life who were super cool, and I’ve learned from them. I just want to be positive. He was such a great guy, and we all miss him.”
Now, Gibbs has his sights set on his first Cup Series win.
“I think we are very capable of breaking through,” he says. “We were close last year but just missed it. We’re going at it full force. I’ve got so much good stuff going on for me, and I always have. I just want to do my best, win, set a good example, and make the sport better. Any time I get in the Cup car, I know I have a shot to win.”