Ty Gibbs unexpectedly made his NASCAR Cup Series debut last season at Pocono Raceway and, according to the rookie, it’s been one “long last year” since then.
Gibbs finished 16th in a substitute role for 23XI Racing when Kurt Busch suffered a concussion from a crash in qualifying. Gibbs didn’t know he was going to be in the car until late Saturday night, which led to a 1 a.m. simulator session and a need to get fitted in the seat the morning of the race.
“It’s definitely been a long last year, for sure,” Gibbs said Saturday afternoon. “It’s been really cool; I’ve had great experiences. Being able to make my Cup start a year ago this weekend is really special to me.
“As I’ve always said, appreciate Denny and Michael for the opportunity and all the experience I had last year. It’s crazy where time takes you.”
Gibbs is now a full-time rookie in the Cup Series with Joe Gibbs Racing. In making his return to Pocono, he did think about the frantic preparation ahead of making his debut.
“Rolling into the track, I remember coming in last year and going to get my seat ready early in the morning (and) stuff like that,” Gibbs said. “It was a scramble last year, but everybody at 23XI did a great job, and the people around me did a fantastic job, so it was actually pretty easy.”
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1428]
The leading rookie of the year candidate is also in contention for a playoff spot. Gibbs is 41 points below the playoff grid cutline going into Sunday’s race (2:30 p.m. ET).
He can’t deny his rise has come fast.
“God has put me on a crazy plan and it’s been really fun, and I’ve enjoyed every bit of it…” he said. “The highs and the lows. It’s been crazy, and I’ve been very thankful for the experience I’ve had and the times I’ve had. I’m very blessed, so I have to keep working hard and enjoy my time here.”
Pocono was the first of what became 15 starts for Gibbs last season as he pulled double duty through the end of the year. He earned his first top-10 finish in Michigan and has six top-10 finishes through the first 20 races of 2023.
Gibbs came into the year embracing the challenge of being a rookie, despite the experience he got last year. There is only one chance to be a Cup Series rookie — as he well knows — plus there was the challenge of learning a brand new race car. Halfway through the season, he’s still having fun, but there is still plenty of work to be done.
“I, for sure, want to be a way better driver than I am and I definitely want to be winning races,” Gibbs said. “It’s definitely hard sometimes, but then you just relax and know you’re a rookie, and usually, it takes some of these guys a little bit to get going, so you have to know going from Xfinity to Cup is really hard.
“You just have to work hard and not focus on anybody else and keep racing and doing the best you can, and see where time takes you.”