[autotag]Ty Gibbs[/autotag] entered the NASCAR Cup Series for his rookie season with Joe Gibbs Racing, and it went fairly well. Gibbs ended the year with four top-5 finishes and 10 top-10 finishes. Unfortunately for the driver of the No. 54 car, he failed to make the 2023 Cup Series playoffs and finished 18th place in the point standings as the second-highest non-playoff driver.
As expected, Gibbs had a rough start to the season and only had a best finish of ninth place through 20 races. Yet, the last 16 races were an improvement, and he had a shot to make the playoffs before a wreck at Daytona. Gibbs closed the campaign with 112 laps led (19th-best) and an 18.4 average finishing position (18th-best).
Repost to congratulate Ty Gibbs on his NASCAR Xfinity Series WIN at Indy! https://t.co/FzK2lHgW7Z pic.twitter.com/SE2fYp6bQL
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) August 13, 2023
Over the last 16 races, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver had four top-5 finishes, five top-10 finishes, and nine top-15 finishes. It was a great improvement from the start of the season as Gibbs showed better speed. It didn’t translate into a victory but it is common for rookie drivers in the Cup Series to have a period of development before they break through.
Overall, Gibbs had a good rookie year with Joe Gibbs Racing. Sure, it could have been better with a win and berth in the playoffs but the 2023 NASCAR season was about his growth as a competitor. The jump to the Cup Series is very big and Gibbs could finally break through for his first win when the 2024 Daytona 500 comes around next February.
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