As Ty Gibbs celebrated his first career NASCAR Cup Series win Sunday evening (April 12) at Bristol Motor Speedway, I couldn’t help but think of the two-time former series champion he replaced.
For years, fans, particularly those of Kyle Busch, have decried the move Joe Gibbs Racing made to not re-sign him, instead bringing in the owner’s grandson to replace him. They called Gibbs a nepo baby, accused him of being a pay driver. While both of those sentiments are somewhat valid, they remain patently unfair.
There Was Undeniable Talent
I had the first inkling that Gibbs was the right man for the job after he punted teammate Brandon Jones in a NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race at Martinsville Speedway back in 2022.
It was something that Busch in his prime would do and get away with, but Gibbs did not. He endured countless opinions online from arm chair car owners and was labeled a reckless bad boy like Busch was after the “Hornaday Incident” in 2011.
But there were earlier signs. Gibbs was an absolute force in his first full-time season in the NOAPS in 2022, collecting seven wins, 16 top fives, and ultimately winning the championship.
On the other hand, Busch’s five-win rookie season in that series in 2004 can be described as raw speed but volatile, with more poor performances to go along with the victories.
Busch Has Been Fading Since 2022
Fans also forget how spotty Busch was with his team prior to his departure from JGR. They were good for about one win a year and an early playoff exit. That sounds a lot like Gibbs’ early years in the No. 54 Toyota, which was largely made up of the same guys who were a part of the No. 18 team.
Of course, Busch joined Richard Childress Racing in 2023 and won three times that year. He hasn’t won since.
Meanwhile, Gibbs had been inching toward his first win that he finally got today since winning the In-Season Challenge last year, and he has shown solid improvement each season.
That all culminated in his win today, a victory off the back of several top five finishes in a row.
Serendipity
Don’t get me wrong: Busch is a NASCAR Hall of Fame talent and someone who will be remembered as one of the greatest of all time. I am also not saying that he doesn’t have what it takes anymore. He could absolutely still go and win again.
I just believe in my heart of hearts that Gibbs is much closer to rattling off multi- win seasons, Chase runs, etc., and I believe it was time to go for Busch back in 2022. This move was the right one then, and I certainly believe it’s the right one now.
The word I keep coming back to when I think about today’s race is serendipity, which means a lucky accident.
How serendipitous it was that Busch wrecked Riley Herbst running 2 laps down in 26th and that it ended up helping Gibbs, slowing down Ryan Blaney’s momentum. That’s really what it comes down to. It’s no happy accident though that Gibbs was always the right man for the job.
Garrett joined Frontstretch as a news writer in 2023, and became a fantasy racing and betting writer in 2024. Hailing from the heart of coal country in southern West Virginia, he's a married father of three and a licensed Physical Therapist Assistant there.
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Once again, no review of the race.
This might be the shortest “Thinkin’ Out Loud” article ever.
I wish I had my 5 minutes back.
Very true, what happened to this column?
Not even a mention that Ty Gibbs is the second driver born in the 2000’s to win a Cup race.
Frontstretch has to tone down the click bait articles, or risk losing credibility as a resource for motorsports news.
Five full seasons in elite equipment with one win does not exactly shout that Ty was “always the right replacement for Kyle Busch”. Also, while Ty did what was needed to secure that win, let’s not get it twisted. Gibbs won because superior strategy put him up front, and the two dominant cars kept impeding each other’s lines racing for second. Again, he earned the win, and I’m not devaluing that. But he didn’t do so by driving faster under green. He did so by protecting the lead his crew chief handed him.
Gibbs has been the clear poorest performer nearly every year at JGR. Possibly he his now turning the corner as a driver (pun intended), but the reality is nearly any other driver would have been fired after five years of poor performance and even worse attitude. Nepotism is alive and well at JGR, and even if Ty goes on to do great things, the reality will always be he wouldn’t have been given the time to develop were he not a nepo baby.
Serious question, I am not being a smart aleck. Is this column no longer a race recap?
Not a fan of Gibbs ,but he is running better this year(4th in points). It has taken him a while to adapt to the car. I don’t think Kyle Busch has it figured it out yet.
I’m not a fan of Toyota, their teams, or any of their drivers. Still, I’m glad Ty finally won a race.
Nepo baby, spoiled brat, etc. are the common terms used to denigrate Ty. I’ve uttered them myself.
Ty isn’t much different than any other young driver in NASCAR’s fold. From an early age, these kids are raised as brands by their wealthy parents with deep pockets and high expectations. They get the best of everything. Ty isn’t unique in that regard. Winning isn’t everything. Money is. That’s the reality of today’s NASCAR.
It took him long enough despite the equipment he has. It took a caution from a Mr. H car with Blaney in the lead to give Larson a crack at the win to give Little Gibbs his chance.