Ty Gibbs stresses importance of giving maximum effort at Bristol | bubble

BRISTOL, Tenn. — Ty Gibbs has led 503 laps in his still-budding NASCAR Cup Series profession. A whopping 239 of these — 47.5% — have been led at Bristol Motor Speedway.

The 21-year-old sophomore pilot of the No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota is trying so as to add extra to that complete in Saturday evening’s NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs elimination race within the Round of 16.

MORE: Starting lineup | Playoff standings before Bristol

Gibbs enters twelfth within the standings, six factors above the elimination line that may see 4 of the 16 postseason drivers’ possibilities to win a championship come to an finish. In reality, Gibbs is tied with future teammate Chase Briscoe for the ultimate spots above the pivotal separator. And what higher monitor for Gibbs to defend a margin and advance than Bristol? He led a career-high 137 laps within the spring at the 0.533-mile brief monitor, backing up a efficiency beneath the lights final yr during which he led 102 circuits.

“This place is so much fun, so I always look forward to coming here and racing,” Gibbs mentioned Friday afternoon. “Just such a fun track, so unique. I feel like it’s a driver’s track in a way, kind of I feel like I put in the (category of) Darlington and Homestead. It’s just a fun place.”

Despite main the second-most laps in April’s 500-lap race, Gibbs wasn’t certain what precisely he realized. Severe tire put on threw the sector for a loop, leaving the Charlotte, North Carolina native extra perplexed than anything with a ninth-place end.

“The one time I went the hardest, I drove all the way to the lead, had no tire issues and won the stage,” Gibbs mentioned. “And then the last part of the race, I saved and had tire problems. So I don’t know. We’ll see.”

What we noticed Friday was one other quick No. 54 Toyota. Gibbs set the quickest single lap throughout the prolonged 45-minute session at 124.719 mph (15.385 seconds), besting defending Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney, 2021 champ Kyle Larson, 2023 Championship 4 finalist William Byron and 2020 title winner Chase Elliott. He was additionally eighth-fastest in 30-lap averages, that means there could also be some long-run velocity in his car in addition.

His Cup expertise is restricted, however Gibbs is aware of what really feel he's searching for behind the wheel.

“You have to be, I think, a little bit free to roll the center, but you can’t be too free, so I think it’s a pretty fine balance,” he mentioned. “But if you’re too free, you can just run the top. Usually, you can make up for it. So that’s what’s fun here is you can move around.”

Gibbs has playoff expertise due to his 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship marketing campaign, however that is his debut yr within the NASCAR Cup Series postseason. On the precipice of his first expertise in a Cup elimination race on the bubble, Gibbs mentioned he isn't intimidated by the duty forward Saturday.

“I mean, it’s, of course, it’s hard, and going to the Cup Series is always a big jump,” Gibbs mentioned. “But I feel like we’re working the hardest we can and go try to make it happen. And if we make it happen, we do,; if we don’t, we don’t. But we just try to give 100% effort the whole time, and same with me on the track, same with my pit crew, and try to make it happen.”

Gibbs will fireplace off thirteenth within the Bass Pro Shops Night Race (7 ET, USA, PRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NBC Sports App).