Ty Gibbs proves he is a rising star in NASCAR Cup Series
Ty Gibbs has already propelled himself into playoff contention in only his second season in the NASCAR Cup Series.
Ty Gibbs won Rookie of the Year last year in the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series and has carried his momentum into the 2024 Series.
The 21-year-old is showing his true talent as a future superstar in NASCAR Cup racing after only five races in his second season in Cup racing.
Whilst Gibbs’ final result at the Food City 500 may have only been a ninth-place finish, it is what the young gun did during the race that stood out. At one point during the race, it looked like Gibbs was destined to claim his first career win in Bristol, which ultimately did not occur. However, he did stand out as he claimed wins in Stage One and Stage Two of the 500-lap race.
It seemed Gibbs’ lack of experience was the factor that held him back from a career first win in Bristol due to the amount of tyre management that was needed, which the class veterans took full advantage of.
During the race, though Gibbs led 137 laps, which adds to his 57 laps led in Phoenix, to put him third in the most laps led this season. His once again impressive top-ten finish was his fourth so far this season, out of a possible five, helping to solidify his new position in the standings.
Gibbs’ form this season has moved the youngster up into third in the standings, only seven points behind the joint leaders of Kyle Larson and Martin Truex Jr.
Currently, Gibbs is 68 points above the playoff cutoff after five races, a good position to be in this early in his career.
Whilst Gibbs is already being labelled as a Championship contender by some, it seems too early to tell if this rising star can mount a championship challenge this season, or if he will claim his first playoff place in the NASCAR Cup Series in only his second season of racing.
It may be too early to say whether Gibbs will be a Championship challenger this season, but it does seem that he is destined for great things in the NASCAR Cup Series.