Ty Gibbs takes time for the fun stuff to make the most of his racing

“All this surfing has got me a little sore.”

NASCAR Cup driver Ty Gibbs grimacing, rubbing his shoulders and speaking about his recent swing through Southern California where he had jetted out to see friends and family before hauling right back East to climb into the No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry XSE for the Cook Out 400 at Darlington Raceway.

“I’m just checking it out,” said Gibbs. “I come out to mountain bike and surf and hang out with some friends and family and to just do some living. My family is out here and my dad grew up out here. It’s just a beautiful area. The good spots of California are awesome. The food is so good. It’s just kind of a different perspective on life. I’m just moving around a little bit. I hang out with some friends and train and just live life and be good and be clean and hang out.

"I think it’s a healthy change. We’re training and we’re staying fit and healthy and we’re also having fun. I think it’s a positive. I think in your 20s you’ve at least got to get out and move aroubd a little bit and not just stay in the same area and stay stagnant. I love my life. I love racing, but racing is not my full life. I get to do different things and I just try to maximize that and appreciate that as much as I can. I’m not married. I don’t have a girlfriend. I don’t have kids. Right now I think it’s just important to get to move around and still live life. I have the opportunity to do it. All my role models and people that I’ve kind of looked up to have always told me, ‘Hey, get out and do stuff that you want to do. Have fun.’ I’m putting the work in. I’m working as hard or harder than any of the other guys, but it is important to get around and do stuff and to live your life. That’s what I’m doing and I love it.”

Gibbs finds he has a lot in common with teammate Bell and is eager to learn from him. Sean Gardner/Getty Images

Gibbs went on to speak about the friends and team members he’s closest with inside the NASCAR garage.

“My teammates I’m good friends with,” pointed out the 22-year-old. “I probably spend most of my time around Christopher Bell. He’s probably my closest teammate and the person I talk to the most. We travel a lot together. We’re both into dirt racing. It’s where he grew up in and it’s kind of where I want to go, so I always ask him questions and wear him out a little bit. I grew up around Riley Herbst. Riley is like my brother, I guess. Now he’s not, but back then he was. I’ve known him since I was 14 or 15 years old. Riley is a good dude. I’ve known him forever.”

And of friend and Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin?

“I’ve known Denny since my brain was first starting to fire!” laughed Gibbs. “I’ve known Denny forever. He’s been super-good to me and my family. He’s always treated me well and been there for me during my highs and lows. He’s a person I will always appreciate.”

And all is well for Gibbs within the organization and race team his grandfather Joe Gibbs created.

“My mom and Coach are involved with it. I have so much respect for them. The more I get older, the more respect I have for what they have to do to run a business," he said. "I’ve never had a business and I probably never will, but there is always something going on. It’s a lot of work and I definitely love having them around. It’s super cool to work with your family. There’s pro and cons with it, right? But it is very fun to see where it has gone and just to check it out.”

Gibbs’ NASCAR Cup career includes four years and 113 races leading up and into the Darlington race this weekend, the NASCAR In-Season Challenge winner is currently 18th in season points. It’s a position Gibbs isn’t entirely pleased with.

“We really haven’t had a great year so far,” explained Gibbs. “We’ve had really good highs. We won the In-Season Challenge. I’m looking to always improve and be better, so I’ve got to put the work in. And I am. Sometimes it takes time to fire off. I’m always going for it and just trying to turn this season around and I know we are capable of doing that and I know I’m capable of doing it. I’m just staying involved and hammering down and it just is what it is.”

And that very first Cup Series win still hasn’t come his way.

“I think it’s right around the corner,” he insisted. “I’ve thought that since I got into Cup. I’m not worried about it because I know I’m capable of doing it and sometimes it just takes time to get it. You know I’ve been very successful in the past, so it’s another challenge. I’m all up for the challenge and I enjoy it and it’s just fun to be able to do what I get to do. I love racing. It is what it is.”

Still, Gibbs conceded that being a young driver with a high profile can get a bit challenging.

“Yeah, it can be good and bad," he said. "I’m appreciative for what I get to do. I’m very honored to be in the position I am in. I think that it can have it’s pros and cons. I think with a lot of the outside noise, people don’t really know who I am as a person. The NASCAR fans, they’re definitely different. They’re a different crowd. They’re easy to judge and quick to cancel, but I think that’s just it's culture nowadays, as well. A lot of people know me. They just see me on a stage and judge me on all the little things, but it is what it is. It’s all outside noise. I really don’t care at all. I could care less. I just love racing myself. I love being around people I grew up with and the people I get to go racing with and get to go to work with every week. It’s a ton of fun. Everything else is just noise outside of that.

“And then there is the media,” continued Gibbs. “They’re OK. Of course I think 90 percent of them like to take their jabs. Of course there are definitely good ones out there and I know who the good ones are and I know who I respect and don’t respect. They’re always out there and they’re always going to be quick to judge and quick to cancel. That’s just how it is nowadays. The media has to keep talking about something and sometimes they have to blow you out to talk about stuff. That’s what they think makes them successful, but I don’t think that’s the way to do it. I’m not in the media.”

Come race weekend, Gibbs finds himself the most comfortable when strapped into the Monster Energy-backed Toyota Camry.

“I love the private time,” admitted Gibbs. “I grew up with two brothers and one sister and dogs. It was a full family with friends and family running around the house. I love being by myself. I love the private time. When I get in the car by myself, and that’s nice. Just being able to kind of do my own thing is always fun.”

Gibbs has not only continued to adjust to being a full-time NASCAR Cup driver but also worked diligently at keeping track of everything that goes on in and around a Cup car on race day.

“Yeah, it definitely is hard at times,” he said. “Luckily, my job is not be the strategist. I just kind of listen to my team and what we are going to do and I trust them. I kind of just let them figure it out. I just drive. I love driving. I’m just trying to do the best I can in my position and listen to what they say with strategy.”

And Gibbs added that he is constantly learning all that goes on within the fiercely competitive NASCAR Cup Series garages.

“I learn every day,” he said adamantly. “I’ll still learn until I’m done! It’s just experience. There is always going to be a different wave and you’ve got to learn how to ride it. It’s the same with racing. It’s the same with laps and positions that you put in. I’ll always keep learning and I’ll always keep having fun and just enjoy it.”

While Ty Gibbs checks in at 22 years of age, the average age of NASCAR Cup racer hovers right around 31 years old. All things considered, Ty Gibbs’ Cup career has a hell of a lot of road in front of it.

“Yeah, for sure. Definitely. It’s all part of it. It’s nice being young. I really appreciate that, even though I feel that time has gone by super-fast as I’m getting older. It’s fun being young. I’ve got to grow up around great people.”

While Gibbs’ 2025 Cup racing results have been something of a mixed bag with an average finishing position of 17.654, there have certainly been highlights. For Gibbs, top three results have come in 2025 at Bristol, Michigan and the Chicago street race.

“We’ve had great runs. We’ve been really close to having shots to win, so I think the highlights are great, but I think we can clearly do better. And that’s the plan," he said. "There’s only one way to do it and that’s to make it happen. I just enjoy racing. It’s fun for me. I definitely have faith that we are going to figure it out. We’ll keep working and I’m going to keep working to better myself. The team is too. We’re all kind of on the same page with that. The little things from now on make big differences. Soe days are going to suck and some days aren’t and the way you deal with them is the most important thing. Losing sucks, but it makes you better and once you kind of realize that, it helps you out.”