TOYOTA RACING – Ty Gibbs
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes
KANSAS CITY (April 18, 2026) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver Ty Gibbs was made available to the media on Saturday prior to the NASCAR Cup Series race from Kansas Speedway.
TY GIBBS, No. 54 Zep Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing
Can you take us through a couple of cool moments from this week?
“Yeah to get a Cup win is super cool, and then to have my family there was super cool, really special, and to have Monster Energy on the car was awesome, along with all of our other partners, but Monster’s been with me since I’ve been super young, and, and I’ve known Mitch Covington since before I was racing in motocross stuff. So, to have them on was super special.”
Has there been any surprises with point system?
“No, I think what Denny (Hamlin) said was perfect in his podcast – it’s rewarding the guys are consistent and not just people that have won a race. I think it’s been great. I think it is the most fair that points could be for what everybody wants. So I think NASCAR did a really good job with that, so kudos to them.”
Do you know about your fan Zach, and have you seen him respond to fans this past week?
“No, I haven’t, but Zach’s been a huge supporter of my career and he’s been a fan, and his page is really cool and he does a really cool job and has a lot of statistics and stuff. Zach kind of is known by all of us on the 54 team. I think that’s pretty funny. It’s cool. It was always going happen. I guess they maybe regret saying that Zach’s got them covered on that side.”
What does it mean to have his and other fans support?
“Yeah, super cool. Zach’s been a great fan, but it’s not just him. There are a lot of other great people out there and to see this week how many more people are wearing 54 shirts is awesome. So, it’s just it’s super cool. It’s just very special to have people like that root for you every week like that’s not on the team or whatever. I think that’s super important, and for me, I really appreciate all of that. I think it’s cool.”
How much relief is it to get this first win?
“Yeah, it’s cool. I’ve obviously had great opportunities to have that win, and it didn’t happen. So for me, it wasn’t like it was life changing. But I really appreciate it. This is more for my team than for myself. I’ve been through a lot as a whole organization, especially in the last couple months, so it’s been cool and we’ll keep working for more.”
How hard is it to make the transition to Cup with no testing and fewer practices?
“Yeah, it’s really hard, and I think it’s equally as hard nowadays with this Next Gen car, how important track position is. You guys probably know that more than me. It’s just really hard and the cars are way different and you have no practice time. So, you come from Xfinity and the guys aren’t as good. I think I got a false sense of how easy it was, and then same with the ARCA, and it’s not even remotely close. It’s hard for sure, but I mean you have to get your ass kicked to get better for sure. I think watching, maybe me and some other guys, go to Cup, like maybe rethink – maybe I need to stay down here for a couple more years and win, like, a lot of races and championships instead of just some races and go right to Cup racing, I think it’s hard, but I love the challenge. I’ve had enjoyed the whole ride and, even when it doesn’t seem like I have, I’ve loved every second of it.”
Do you think they rushed you a bit or no?
“No, I mean, it was just what the timing was. I mean, it’s God’s timing. Everything that happened at the end of 2022 is pretty crazy and with people and driving different places. I mean, I don’t know, maybe I would be here or somewhere else, but yeah, I’m fine with it. I’m having so much fun. I’m having a lot of fun in my career so far, and I hope to just keep going. Yeah, it’s been a lot of fun, a lot of hard work and a lot of dedication. Yeah, I love it.”
What does it mean to you and your team to say that you are a Cup Series winner?
“Really cool. Yeah, really cool experience, really, really cool memory. It’s an honor for sure. I’ve grown up watching, a lot of people win races for our team, but as a driver, it’s super cool and it’s just really special for me.”
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