Step back to the early days of Ty Gibbs’ NASCAR career, and the buzz around him was electric—a young prodigy carrying the weight of the Joe Gibbs Racing legacy on his shoulders. At just 19, he clinched the 2021 ARCA Menards Series championship, dominating with 10 wins in 20 starts, and followed it up with the 2022 Xfinity Series title, racking up seven victories in a season that had fans whispering about a future Hall of Famer. But fast forward to 2025, and the shine has faded for the 22-year-old, grandson of NASCAR legend Joe Gibbs.
Now in his third full season in the Cup Series, Gibbs has been mired in a slump that’s left fans scratching their heads, wondering where that spark went. Despite winning the Rookie of the Year title in 2023 and a playoff appearance in 2024, one thing that’s missing is the almighty win. This led to a major reshuffle in the JGR camp as Chris Gayle would move to the #11 team with Denny Hamlin, and Tyler Allen took command of the #54 team. Yet the results were disappointing, and Ty even added an unwanted record to his name.
He is now the longest tenured driver at JGR to go without a win after 91 starts in the Cup Series. This record was previously held by J. J. Yeley, his streak stood at 79 races. The patch from Atlanta to Homestead, where he finished 22nd or worse, was the boiling point for the race fans, who didn’t mince their words in criticising the driver. They labeled him as a “Generational bust,” stating that he has a spot in the Cup Series because of his grandfather, Coach Gibbs.
He had a stretch of races from Martinsville to Talladega, where he bagged a top 10 and a top 5 result, along with stage points. But that seems like a while ago, and he’s back struggling with mid-pack finishes. Ty Gibbs has finished 23rd or worse in his last four starts, but there seems to be a shift in the sentiment on how fans are judging this slump.
Ty Gibbs seen at the final round qualifying | Courtesy: Reuters
A recent Reddit post asking, “What is going on with Ty Gibbs?” has sparked a wave of fan reactions that show a softer side, with many stepping back to empathize rather than criticize. They’re starting to see the bigger picture—the immense pressure, the personal loss, and the steep learning curve of the Cup Series.
Fans Show Empathy for Ty Gibbs’ Struggles
One fan kicked things off, saying, “I think he is the best indicator of how big the gap in talent between Cup and Xfinity is. The Cup Series is extremely competitive. You have to be almost a perfect driver to be competitive, even in a good car.” It’s a fair point—the Cup Series is a whole different beast, and even a driver like Kyle Larson, who’s won three races in 2025, has pointed out how Gibbs’ youth and inexperience make the transition tough. Larson noted that Gibbs, at 22, is still learning the ropes against drivers with decades of experience, a gap that’s hard to close when every race is a battle of precision and strategy.
Another fan dug deeper, commenting, “I think the combination of no significant truck experience (which some have said races more like the NextGen car than Xfinity does), losing his dad when making the biggest jump in competition level in his life, joining a slumping team that lost their winning way before he got there with Kyle Busch, and just generally being young have a lot to do with it.” While the 2022 Xfinity Series triumph was his peak, he wasn’t exactly Cup ready. Just a streak of runs with 23XI Racing and a full-time season the Xfinity Series, it was only natural that he would take time in adapting to the top level. Moreover, it is hard to shine when you have guys like Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell in your team, who are competitive every weekend.
The next fan offered a bit of hope, saying, “He had a huge drop off during the last 10 or so races last season and it just never stopped. It makes zero sense. Good news for him is he’s only 22 and his grandpa owns the team. Plenty of time to figure it out.” That drop-off is real—Gibbs went from a solid first half in 2024 to a string of finishes outside the top 30 in the final 5 races, a slump that’s carried into 2025. But he can only learn from the best drivers in his team at such a tender age. And as long as Joe Gibbs is around, he doesn’t need to worry about contracts or extension.
Another comment got personal: “He simply has just had the best car in the field by far in every division he’s been in. Its been a wake up call here. That and losing his dad probably has f—– with him more than we know.” Gibbs’ dominance in ARCA and Xfinity came with top-tier equipment, but the Cup Series has been a harsh reality check where even the best cars demand exceptional skill. The emotional toll of losing Coy Gibbs in 2022, right after Ty’s Xfinity title win, can’t be understated. Coy was a key figure at JGR, and his sudden passing left Ty navigating both grief and the pressures of Cup racing without his father’s guidance.
It is tough to identify or predict when Ty Gibbs will have his big moment that would allow him to overcome his current slump. Chase Elliott got his first Cup win in his third season, so there is some resemblance there for Ty to strive for this year.
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