They’re talking about the 2026 Chevrolet Equinox, which is a small SUV. The host is basically saying it’s great for everyday stuff and fun outings like tailgating because it has room for people and gear.
Cargo space is the usable volume in the vehicle for luggage, groceries, and gear. The segment emphasizes that the Equinox’s cargo area can fit larger items like coolers, tying it to real-world practicality.
A touch screen is the big display inside the car you tap to control things like music and navigation. Here, they’re saying it helps you stay organized and informed when you’re on the go.
They’re talking about moving up in NASCAR. “Cup” is the highest level, and the “step” means going from a lower series to the top series where the racing is tougher and the stakes are higher.
“Cup racing” means the highest level of NASCAR. It’s harder than the lower series because everyone is faster and the races demand more from both the car and the driver.
A “first cup win” means the first time a driver wins a race in NASCAR’s top series. It’s a major step because it proves they can compete at the highest level.
Michigan is a NASCAR race track. When drivers say they should’ve won there, they’re usually talking about how their car performed and how the race played out.
Bristol is a short NASCAR track with lots of close, aggressive racing. If you grew up going there, you usually feel more comfortable with how the race tends to unfold.
Pit Road is where the race teams pull in during the race to work on the car. If you come in at the wrong time or have a mistake there, you can lose positions even if you were running well.
The green flag means the race is back to full speed after a pause. The start/restart right after the green flag is often when drivers gain or lose spots quickly.
This is a conversation with Ty Gibbs about racing—how he thinks, how he handles mistakes, and how the team works together. It’s less about a specific car and more about the approach to getting better.
“Radio” refers to the in-car communication between the driver and the team during a race. How calmly and quickly information is exchanged can affect decisions like adjustments, strategy calls, and whether the team can recover from an error.
They’re saying the team’s improvement didn’t happen overnight—it started earlier and got better as they learned more. Racing teams usually improve by tweaking things race after race.
Qualifying on the pole means you start the race in the very first spot. It’s a big advantage, but you still have to drive smart during the race to win.
A “caution” is when the race slows down because something happened on the track. It usually leads to a restart later, and teams may change their plan because tires and track position matter a lot after the slowdown.
In NASCAR, tires are what provide grip. As they heat up and wear out, the car can feel better or worse, which changes how fast a driver can go and how easy it is to pass.
The “last restart” is the final time the race restarts near the end. Since there’s not much time left, it’s usually when passing and defending are hardest.
A “burnout” is when the driver briefly spins the tires to make smoke. It’s a celebratory move after a win and is done in a controlled way so the car doesn’t get damaged.
A pit stop is when the race team pulls in to get service—usually tires and sometimes fuel. The crew works like a team to do it as fast as possible.
Term
picker
In NASCAR, a “picker” is a crew member who helps grab and place the parts during a pit stop. It’s one of the jobs that helps the team change things fast so the car can get back out.
A “front changer” is the pit crew member who changes the front tires. They’re responsible for getting the front wheels swapped quickly so the car can leave the pit lane fast.
“Up against the wall” means the car got very close to the track barrier. Drivers talk about it because it shows how tight the space was and how hard they were pushing.
They’re talking about the very top tier of NASCAR-style racing. It’s not just driving fast—teams and families have to deal with constant pressure to win, which can be tough on personal relationships.
“Legend cars” are a kind of stock car racing that usually happens on smaller tracks. The host is using it to say this isn’t that level—it’s much more serious and competitive.
Topic
go cards
“Go cards” appears to refer to go-kart racing, which is a common entry point for young drivers. The comparison is meant to highlight that the conversation is about professional stock car racing rather than karting.
NASCAR is a big U.S. racing league where drivers compete in stock cars. The guest is saying that growing up around that kind of high-level competition helps build the mindset to succeed.
“Cup” refers to NASCAR’s top national series, commonly called the NASCAR Cup Series. When the guest mentions “cup races and championships,” they’re talking about the highest-profile NASCAR events and titles.
“XFINITY” refers to NASCAR’s second-tier national series, historically branded as the NASCAR Xfinity Series. The guest is comparing the intensity of earlier racing (bicycles) to the pressure of competing at NASCAR’s major series levels.
Go-karts are small race cars you sit in, and they’re often where drivers start. They help you learn how to steer, race close to others, and control speed.
Concept
mountain bikes
A mountain bike is made for dirt trails and bumps. Riding them hard teaches you balance and quick decision-making when the surface is unpredictable.
They’re saying bike racing helped them become mentally tougher for car racing. Doing intense training often teaches you how to stay focused and handle stress when your body is working hard.
Concept
racing road bikes
A road bike is a bicycle made for riding fast on smooth pavement. Racing them helps you learn how to pace yourself and stay calm when things get intense—skills that can carry over to car racing.
Concept
pressure while under physical stress
They’re talking about staying sharp even when you’re tired and your body is under strain. In racing, that means you can keep making good driving decisions lap after lap.
Concept
carts
Here, “carts” means go-karts—small race cars. They’re often the first step for people who want to race professionally.
Late models are a type of stock-car race you’ll see on short tracks. For many drivers, it’s a common next step after go-karts as they work their way up the racing ladder.
Term
wiring out of race cars
That sounds like he worked on the electrical parts of race cars—basically the wires and connections. Race cars have special electronics, and learning that in the shop helps you understand how everything works.
A tear down is when the crew takes the race car apart to check everything. They look for worn or damaged parts so the car can be fixed and perform better next time.
ARCA is a racing series that acts like a stepping stone for stock-car drivers. Racing in ARCA helps drivers learn how to race and set up cars before they move up to NASCAR’s biggest series.
Topic
Xfendi
Xfinity (likely what he means by “Xfendi”) is a major NASCAR series where drivers race before they reach the top Cup level. It’s a key step for learning how to compete against stronger fields.
Topic
O'Reilly series race
O’Reilly is a sponsor in NASCAR. When someone says they won an “O’Reilly series” race, they mean they won a NASCAR event that was branded with that sponsor.
“Monster” refers to Monster Energy, a well-known motorsports sponsor. In NASCAR, sponsors like Monster are commonly tied to specific cars/teams and can influence branding and marketing visibility.
The hosts discuss how winning a race creates heightened expectations for the rest of the season. In motorsports, that pressure can affect decision-making, risk tolerance, and how teams manage strategy and car setup week to week.
The segment highlights a common racing psychology issue: after a win, drivers face pressure to repeat results quickly. That mental shift can affect how aggressively they push, how they handle risk, and how they communicate with the team.
“Cheddar” is a nickname for the crew chief. The crew chief is the person who helps run the team’s decisions during a race and works with the driver on the car.
Stigma is a negative label people put on you. Here, it’s the idea that Ty Gibbs only got good because of who his family is, not because of his own talent.
“Fully funded” means someone is paying for a lot of the racing costs. That can make it easier to focus on driving instead of worrying about money.
Topic
spring car
A “spring car” is basically the race car you use for the early part of the season. It’s not just a magic switch—you still have to learn the setup and get comfortable with it over time.
The Chili Bowl is a well-known sprint-car racing event (often called the Chili Bowl Nationals) that attracts drivers from multiple disciplines. Mentioning it highlights how drivers like Chase Elliott cross over into different racing worlds beyond NASCAR.
Concept
deficit
A “deficit” here means you’re not as fast as the others right away. It’s like being behind in a race, so you have to work harder the whole time to catch up.
The Oldsmobile Intrigue is a regular passenger car (a sedan) made for driving around town and on highways. It was designed to be comfortable and practical, not a special racing car. The word “Intrigue” is the model name, so it may be brought up just because it sounds interesting.
The guest is talking about “discipline hopping”—competing across multiple racing series rather than focusing on one. That can build broader car-control skills (lines, braking, throttle management) and make a driver more adaptable when conditions or cars change.
Concept
humble enough to get my ass kicked
He’s basically saying he’s willing to lose and learn. When you’re new to something, getting beat can be part of improving.
A sprint car is a special kind of race car used in short races, often on oval tracks. It’s built to be quick and responsive, so learning to drive it can make you better at other kinds of racing too. Ty Gibbs is saying that time in sprint cars helps his NASCAR driving.
Topic
O'Reilly cars
O’Reilly is a company that sponsors racing teams and series. When they say “O’Reilly cars,” they’re talking about the racing world and teams associated with that sponsorship. It’s mentioned as part of his career path.
LIVE
The 2026 Chevy Equinox is more than an SUV, it's your Sunday tailgate and your parking
lot snack bar.
Your lucky jersey, your chairs and your big cooler fit perfectly in your even bigger cargo
space.
And when it's go time, your 11.3 inch diagonal touch screen's got the playbook, the playlist
and the tech to stay a step ahead.
It's more than an SUV, it's your Equinox.
Chevrolet, together let's drive.
I lost my father, so I was pulling up on my father.
If I gave me a thumbs up, she always says, I want to be right around one day and we don't
want to do that anymore.
Growing up in such a competitive family, I don't call them grandpa, or joey, call them
coach.
Yellow Horners, Kevin Harvicko.
So we're 131 races in, which is about in line with what everybody else has taken to get
the victory lane.
How does that feel?
I mean, I guess time goes by pretty quick now.
I think that's the one thing I've noticed.
And I mean, yeah, it definitely felt long, but also, you know, running so much in 2022
as well with X-Bendy car, and it's just been chaos, I feel like the last couple of years.
So finally the win is super cool, but it's like, I knew it was going to come eventually.
So it was nice.
So I think that the part that people don't understand is the, I guess the step from O'Reilly
to Cup.
You can't explain that to a young driver.
You can't explain it to a fan.
And just the process and the things that go with cup racing are so drastically different
that, I mean, unless you do it, you can't explain it.
Is that fair?
Yeah, I would say so.
And I feel like, you know, looking back, and especially for kids now coming up, like,
you know, if you wanted one or two X-Bendy races, like, it's, you know, you're not cup
ready.
It's not even close.
And I think that, I think everybody needs to think about that.
And, but also I think that it's what makes it cool that winning the top level, it's really
hard.
I mean, you know, it takes a lot, it takes everything, every little piece you can put
together to win at the top level.
So I think, you know, if you can stay and win X-Bendy races, you don't think you're
cup ready.
And I think that's probably a better decision.
But obviously it changes with the financials.
But yeah, I think that, you know, for sure, yeah, you got to be ready.
You know, one or two is not going to do anything for you in Cup.
So you go to Bristol and get your first cup win.
That's the first time that that's been done since Kurt Busch did it in 2002.
Have you ever thought about, like, where you thought your first cup win would come?
I know you talked after the race about, hey, you came at Bristol, this is, this is awesome.
But is that where, I mean, did you think it could come anywhere, or was there a place
that you wanted it to come?
Yeah, I mean, you know, we were really close to Darlington like a year ago.
You know, we, I think we should have won Michigan last year.
And so I think there was a couple that we know we had been really close to.
But I thought it was that we were really strong at Bristol.
Every time we went, we always were in contention and, and same with Darlington, too.
So, I mean, I would say probably both of those.
But Bristol for me is like, I basically a home track, I guess, you know, we're so
close to to Bristol is not too far from where we live.
And so to have that is awesome.
I mean, I grew up going to Bristol.
I probably spent, honestly, besides Charlotte, the most time at Bristol, too.
So to win there is like, is, is, it was the best place to try it for.
I mean, I would take any win.
Yeah, I would take any of them.
But yeah, that's for sure.
If it all was the same, yeah, Bristol probably for sure.
But yeah, and I look back at last fall, you were in position to win that one
and had the mistake come into Pit Road.
And then you come back this year and win.
Yeah, I was a torpedo.
Yeah, you were torpedo.
But all the things that went with this win, and I think, you know, for me,
watching this situation develop and drop the green flag, you go backwards,
you know, you get stuck on the outside.
You had made a young mistake.
I know, but that's the point, right?
Like you made a mistake and there were there was basically zero emotion
on the radio or anything happened.
I was a little fired.
I know, but you get to the point where it's like, OK, it is what it is.
And Tyler's been very forward in saying, hey, look forward,
look out the front window.
Let's let's take this.
We've got the team.
We've got everything that we need to make this go well.
You know, I think.
Is it fair to say that that started last year as you guys got your team together
and your cars running fast?
That didn't just start at the beginning of this year.
That started last year, wouldn't you say?
Yeah, definitely.
I think Tyler, obviously, you know, how they go through a lot last year,
but now in the position where he can, he can shine in the way he is made to do it.
And I think that's what it's showing.
Tyler is very, you know, I feel like a lower emotion guy, which I really like.
And so, you know, kind of just focusing forward, obviously, like last week
and some mistakes have been in the past, you know, or it's on the picker or my fault.
I mean, I make more mistakes than anybody does.
They're going to happen.
I make more than anybody does.
So, you know, we just look forward, just keep going forward.
I mean, there's not really time to waste, you know, looking and being upset.
You know, we got to get some stage points and whatever to get going and get good points.
So, yeah, we always are like, we're looking forward and just stay after it.
And, you know, I think me and Tyler are on the same page.
And I feel like we're, you know, made the work with each other.
So it's been really, it's been really nice.
But that's the great part about this win is it wasn't like you just went out,
qualified on the pole, led every lap.
You had to battle through all that adversity to get to the point
that you that you were in contention at the end.
So you get yourself back in position.
Caution comes out with a few laps to go.
And first thing you said on the radio was I need to keep my track position.
Yeah.
And nobody even questioned it.
Tyler was just like, OK. Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah, I think we know we both kind of both kind of agreed on track position.
We watched Sceptrofica and Xfin the race leave the Brent out.
And I thought that that was a good decision.
And I think that, you know, with the way these cup cars are now
and the way the tracks were, the restarts were kind of very narrow.
Yeah, you had to stay out.
And I think that we obviously made the right decision.
And it was really close to, you know, if it was one more lap,
I think Brian would have won it, but luckily it ended on five of the five.
So but yeah, I mean, I think it was I think it was the right decision.
We both were on the same page with it.
So yeah, it was nice.
Did you feel like the second restart, you were in a better spot than the first restart?
The first restart, you were pretty vulnerable with the guys on.
Well, yeah. Yeah.
Well, I didn't. So Redick made the top work and then everybody jumped up there quick.
So obviously, you know, he he did that.
And I feel like I didn't, you know, nobody expected that that top
to come in just like that right after the restart.
And so got to see that moved up.
And then the bottom wasn't great for a couple laps, too.
And then obviously the college came out and then Brian had tires
and obviously was blistering fast on the bottom.
And it was just a close finish.
Yeah. So you get to victory lane, you hold them off on the last restart.
And, you know, really, from that point, I don't think a lot of us knew
where it was going to go in the celebration.
So you you do the burnout and you get out of your car and celebrate.
And what was what was what was this all about?
Yeah, well, I just made sure, obviously, you know, I lost my father.
So I was pulling up with my father and then, you know, I feel like I, you know,
always heard him, you know, we're going to go win races, we're going to do it.
So make sure to answer that phone and and put it back down on the table.
So I thought that that was pretty cool, a cool tribute.
And obviously I have my whole family there.
Everybody's coming up to me and it was just awesome.
You know, my my cousin's on my picker.
He's my front changer, Jackson, and he was there.
My cousin Miller was there handing fuel and he's the development picker guy.
He'll probably be killing them here shortly.
I heard you yell for him.
Yeah, I did. He was sitting right there and so he was crying.
I felt bad and I was just doing all these interviews.
And so I was just really wanting to go celebrate with my guys.
And so I did the corporate side for a little bit and then was giving the guys around.
But it was awesome. Everybody was there.
You know, got to take, you know, take my mom around with me.
And, you know, it's just such a cool experience.
Like I'll never forget that. Did you have that plan?
No, I didn't. OK. No.
I mean, she's always want to do a right.
She always tells me like, I want to do right around one day.
You know, we don't really do that anymore.
So I decided to do it after I won and show the track.
Does she give you any guidelines of what you couldn't do?
I was just, yeah, no, not at all.
I mean, I told her, I was like, let's run on the banking.
And she's like, all right, so we were ran up against the wall.
Yeah. And then she's like, all right, take me down.
Yeah, I was starting to rev it up and it kind of got a little loud.
So yeah, those things are allowed.
Yeah, that was the worst way to when I had my kids in the right side.
I'm like, all right, we need some earphones, plug your ears
because it'll blow your ears out.
I feel like that with my helmet and my earbuds on anyway, especially when they fall out.
But you know, I think it's you talk about all the all the the celebration stuff.
You know, I think that the the part that people don't really understand about your situation is,
you know, you talk about a family business and everything that goes into it.
And I think that that celebration really gave people a lot of insight
in just how close you all are, whether it's Miller, whether it's your mom, whether it's Joe.
Like it's like it's as close of a family knit as I've ever been involved in.
And I think that having the celebration with her and seeing your enthusiasm to run over to Joe
and grab the microphone, that was probably my favorite part
when he took the microphone from Jamie Little.
If any time we can get something over on Jamie Little, I'm way happy because it just she's such a pro.
And when he took that microphone from her and held it and she was like,
Jamie, I've been a little bit upset, but you know, nothing was going to come out too bad.
I think of coach. No, it's good. Yeah.
No, but you know, I think that's the one guy you could probably give it away to.
Yeah. If you're going to give your microwave, she said that I just like giving her grief.
But just just talk about that that family unity that you guys have.
And because it is it is pretty special.
I mean, it's not every family that gets to have the unity that you guys have as a group.
Yeah, you know, that's the one thing I've been growing up being very thankful for is,
you know, how how tight we are as a family.
And obviously the Gibbs family has been through a lot, you know, a lot of success and a lot of failure
and a lot of ups and downs and I feel like our lives and obviously, you know, being so tight,
it just feels like it grows us all together.
And, you know, we all love Jacob's racing.
There's a passion, obviously.
But, you know, besides that, we're all really close.
And, you know, my grandmother, we all are in group chat.
She texts all of us every day and everybody always texts back and then we respond.
Every day, sometimes it's some random stuff that we don't get back to.
But, you know, she knows it's okay, but we're all really close.
And I just I don't know.
That's just how it's always been.
I think we've been through a lot, but obviously I just think that we're always been really close.
And I don't know, I haven't seen anything differently.
And I feel like very thankful for that.
You know, not a lot of people get to have that.
So, you know, I think that's kind of who made what's made me who I am as a person.
And I grew up with, you know, my my my cousin side, you know, there's four boy cousins and I have two brothers.
So, you know, people think, oh, I'm a prima donna.
I don't have to do anything.
I mean, we grew up beating the crap out of each other every single day.
I feel like I'm way tougher than they expect.
So, yeah, so we grew up, you know, fighting for what we had.
Very competitive people in my sister's, you know, very the smartest one of all of us.
That probably leads all of us natural.
That's natural. Yeah.
I mean, not too hard.
I don't think they're the brightest, but no, we are.
But yeah, it's been cool.
Just grown up in just a tight competitive family.
Always wanting to win and very competitive.
And so, yeah, I always loved that.
And you're you have two brothers that play baseball, correct?
Yes. Yes. Yeah.
And so you raised they play baseball and you have Joe kind of leading the parade on on all of this.
It seems, I mean, from from my standpoint.
And I think that Joe always comes across very professional, always says the right things.
But I feel like when when I am around him, that he's one of the most competitive people
that that I've ever been around in my life.
Yeah. And you have to balance that with the family side of it and the competitive grandpa and boss, Joe.
How hard is that just to balance the the competition and everything that that goes
into that because it's intense and it's not it's not archa.
It's not legend cars. It's not go cards.
I mean, we're talking the highest level of stock car racing that you can be at.
And it is not easy and can be very, very, very it can strain a relationship,
I guess is the best way to put it.
But it doesn't ever seem like that's the case.
No, I mean, yeah, obviously, you're going to have arguments and talk and all of that.
But we're all figuring out for one thing.
You know, we all respectfully respect each other and we do it for to go win races.
You have to have hard talks and stuff like that.
And I think people don't realize that.
But also growing up in such a competitive family, I mean, my two brothers are bigger
and they've made it all on their own.
Everybody in my family has made it all on their own.
And they just grinded it out and been super competitive.
You know, my grandfather came from completely nothing and same with my mother.
And so, you know, it's always been a fighting way.
You know, I've been fighting my whole life to be in the position I'm in as well.
So we've just been super competitive and grew up in that environment.
And I think that's very healthy.
Obviously, at times it can be stressful and stuff like that.
But I think you have to have that and very fortunate to grow up in that.
And yeah, coach is just, you know, after it every single day.
You know, I don't call him grandpa or Joey, call him coach.
And yeah, I don't think people understand that and probably should put more respect on
his name for the things he's done.
But yeah, I mean, he's at every competition meeting,
figuring out what we got to do to get better.
You know, all of our teammates are in there.
We all are all after it.
So, you know, I think that, you know, I have obviously a family relationship with my grandfather,
but we're around racing so much.
I feel like my relationship is not much different than my teammates is all with coach as well.
So we're just all after it.
All wanting to go in races every single day.
I mean, I've known that since day one and I've watched it growing up as well.
So we all have, not just me, you know, my cousins and my brothers and sisters
watch that as well growing up.
So it's been, it's been a lot of fun.
I think it's healthy.
I think you got to grow up in that environment, especially, you know,
nowadays everything's at the top level in pro sports and NASCAR and anything in life is hard to do.
And so you have to grow up in that environment.
Who is more competitive, Koy or Joe?
We're more intense.
I don't know, more intense was my dad for sure, 100% more intense.
You know, coach is always a great spirit, but I'm just a hard gnarly guy.
And my dad was as well, but very intense too.
So, you know, I look back in my life and, you know, cup races and championships are cup race
and championships I've won.
And nothing is more stressful and more intense than racing bicycles when I was younger.
And I think that, you know, me, we're starting 100% the first thing you race.
Yeah, the first thing you race is bicycles.
And so that was by far more intense than any cup race or any
XFINITY race I've won and championship won.
Nothing beats that at all.
You know, I think that's what set me up for my career, but, you know,
people think it's intense and we can, you know, talk down in the media to me or whatever,
but nothing's more intense than that would ever be.
And I don't think that any of them could stand it at all either.
Now, the bike racing that you did, it was just start on the top of the ramp,
shoot down the ramp, do little jumps and things like that.
Racing BMX and so, yeah.
My dad grew up in Southern California and that was obviously a big thing.
And had the supercross team, motocross team as well.
I think if my mom never said no, I probably would be doing that.
But, you know, thankfully she said, yeah, any motocross or anything.
Yeah, indoors or outdoors.
So I think if she didn't say no, I probably would be doing that,
which thankfully she said no, but I still love watching it.
And then I grew up racing bicycles, BMX.
And then I moved to mountain bikes and road bikes and
raced that for a couple of years.
And then I just got into go-karts and went racing ever since.
So you started in karts.
Who did you race against in karts?
Karts, I mean.
Your generation.
Yeah, like my generation.
Brent.
A lot of Brent crews a little bit.
Yeah, go-karts with Brent crews.
Just a lot of guys now that have eventually made it to the top.
But I think it's cool seeing everybody, you know, go to the top with me.
But I think nothing's taught me more in my life than bikes have.
I think bikes are like, if I didn't have bikes,
I would not be the person who I am today.
Yeah.
And hands down, like that's the honest truth.
If I did not have anything.
Then why do you think that is?
I just think that, you know, growing up,
racing bikes, racing road bikes and mountain bikes is the most,
the gnarliest and most intense thing you can do.
A lot of training.
I mean, riding every single day, being young.
And I think it just taught me so much in my life and how to take on pressure and how to handle
pressure while under physical stress.
And I think that you have to have that at the top level,
and especially NASCAR.
And yeah, I think that it's just taught me so much in my life.
I truthfully, if I did not grew up racing that I would not be where I'm at.
So who was the coach?
I have coach, I had a lot of coaches, a lot of great people around me.
Now I have Justin Brayton and Johnny O'Mara and they're very helpful for me.
But at that time, was it your dad?
My dad, yeah, my dad was a big part of it.
Yeah, my dad was my crew, my mechanic.
He was the mechanic on the bike.
He was the mechanic.
So, you know, my bikes are always in the super crash shop.
They're always working.
My dad loved working on them as a hobby.
And we went racing, you know, went racing in mountain bike nationals and everything.
So growing up, I just wanted that I was going to go, you know,
one of the racemotor cross that wasn't going to happen.
I wanted to go race bikes and I wanted to be a part of the Tour de France.
I wanted to do all of that.
I loved it so much.
Yeah, it was, I still, it's still such a hobby for me.
I think that's my backup plan.
Yeah.
I mean, I'm a little lay on it, but I'd still go for it.
So you spend a lot of time on your road bike?
I do.
My mountain bike, yeah, mountain bike, probably mostly right now.
But yeah, I do.
I love it so much.
Yeah.
I could ride every day.
I love it.
So you go from, you go from BMX racing, dabbled in carts?
I went from BMX racing and I went to race mountain bikes and road bikes.
I did that prior fall for like eight years and then I went and raced.
So how old were you when you started?
Cardi 13 or?
Oh, wow.
So I was a little late.
You were a little late.
I was, yeah.
And once you started racing carts, what happened from there?
Did you spend a lot of time in the shop?
Did you, were you around the cup teams and teams at that time?
How did, how did that go once you kind of got the bug to go on four wheels?
Yeah.
So I grew up racing go-karts and I was like 13.
You know, that's something I want to do and no pressure behind it.
I just really want to do it.
Me and my cousin Jason did for a little bit and so we just would show up and race.
And I don't think that they really wanted us to start racing.
And then I just stuck with it and yeah, ended up getting into late models.
And you know, I, at the time I was home school.
So I would do my school and then be at the shop all day and then had like little jobs
at the shop, you know, taking, uh, wiring out of race cars and obviously there's great stories
to people about that.
But yeah, I spent a lot of time at the shop working from, you know, cleaning race cars
coming in on tear down and, and the truck bay and then working my way up.
So, uh, I got a great foundation of that and kind of understand how things work.
And then, um, you know, race late models for three or four years and then went into race
ARCA and started testing ARCA and then race ARCA and then, um, then moved up to Xfendi
and then obviously now in cups, it's been probably eight, eight years of seven or eight
years that just like a very fast, uh, transition.
And now I'm here.
Time goes by really fast.
Really fast.
You're getting old.
I am.
I feel like I'm getting, I am getting all nice.
You do see these kids coming up.
I thought I was like, never going to get old.
And now I mean, I'm 23.
I'm not old, but it's going to be a while until you get to half my age.
But yeah, that's, that's the way that goes.
Oh man.
Yeah.
So you, you win your first cup race, you won your very first O'Reilly series race.
You won the ARCA championship.
So now you get that first one out of the way.
So what are the expectations now as, as you move forward for your cup career?
Because now all the talk about the first one is over.
And let me, let me look at my notes here.
You're going to really like this stat.
And you're hopefully you just take this out of the way and, and crush it.
But Lenny pond was the only, the last guy to win in the 54 car.
Yep. I heard that.
He won one race in his whole career.
Obviously that's not where you're headed.
But the 54 car, I mean, it is, it's Ty Gibbs and it's built around what you've done to,
to start your cup career and, and who you are.
And you've got a brand, a great brand with monster behind you and Joe Gibbs racing.
And, and so you win the first race and, and now you have expectations that you've built
yourself and, and your team is on a roll.
What is the goal for the rest, for the rest of the year to, because you win a race.
And the part that people don't understand a lot of these guys win a race.
And then they're like, I want to race.
And now I can just, I'm a cup driver and I can move on.
Do you put more pressure on yourself to go out and win another one?
Or do you focus where, where are you at mentally with, with that?
Yeah, for me, I think it's always stayed the same.
And, you know, for me, it was just to go try to win every race I could possibly be entering.
And, and if I can't finish best, I can.
And that's kind of how it's always been.
Because you're going to lose way more than you win.
A hundred percent.
And I feel like that's, you know, I think losing obviously teaches you a lot.
And so I think, you know, just stay after it.
I don't really have goals or expectations.
I just want to win all the races.
And if I can't finish best, I can.
I mean, I don't think that there's a better option than that.
So I just go from it from there.
I don't put too much pressure.
I mean, I put obviously all my pressure comes from myself, but I just enjoy the racing.
So I just go out there and try to do the best I can and, and smash them every week.
But if I can't, then I always, yeah, if I can't, then I just finish best I can and
get as many points as I can.
So you have my old car chief, Cheddar.
You have Tyler, who's been there now for, you know, I would call it a year and a half.
You have, you know, some, some different people on your team.
And the vibe that the team sends out is everybody loves tie gives and everybody loves working on
the 54 car.
And that is, I mean, so far the opposite of where it was a year ago that, I mean, it's,
it's pretty remarkable, but the dynamic of your team, it's, it's obviously changed.
And, and, but when you get out of that car every time, I know for me, when I used to
get out and I'd be madder in hell, I get out of that four car and I'd look around and Cheddar
just look at me and he'd kind of look down and look up and smile and he'd say, you mad
bro.
Yeah.
I'm pissed.
We're going to be all right.
But you know, you have these different pillars of people that are around you now and, but
getting out of that car and seeing him for the first time, he's got a lot of experience,
but he's also probably one of the most intensely positive people.
It's hard to put those two things together to get out of the car and, but my point is
you've got all these, these things around you now that when you hear the chatter about
everything that you have going on, it's just, you're just another race car driver and another
team that is, that is competitive.
And, you know, I think that the stigma of, you know, just Joe Gibbs's grandson getting
a good race car is kind of out the window now that you've won a cup race.
And that to me has to feel really good because that was kind of the last thing that they
could pin on you to say that you were given.
Yeah.
And now you've just kind of blown that off.
So I know you don't really care about a lot of the things that people say, but it sure
is nice when you just don't have to answer the questions anymore.
Right.
Yeah.
I mean, you know, and I think a lot of it's an observation as well.
Like, you know, people think that, you know, I grew up, everything was paid for.
You know, that's obviously not the case.
You know, I've been fortunate and I've been fully funded for years.
And, you know, they haven't put a dollar into me.
And I mean, I can't talk more than 10 years.
So it's been cool.
And I think, you know, you know, people are going to say stuff.
Obviously, people say stuff for their podcasts to kind of bring the ratings up because they're
probably low and maybe people listen to them.
But it's been fun.
Yeah, I feel like I've proved my spot.
And I don't really need to prove it.
I really could care less if I had to prove it or not.
You know, I know, obviously, what I can do and yeah, like I said in Phoenix, you know,
the results are going to speak for themselves.
And people are going to make false statements or make statements that are pretty wack and
stuff like that.
And I proved them wrong.
I mean, I have proved them wrong.
I can care less.
I just enjoyed the racing part.
And I feel like that's why I'm here.
I just enjoyed it.
And it's been fun along the way.
And yeah, it's been cool.
Shut them up.
Well, to see the results and, you know, just the clickbait is easy to go through.
And I think that, you know, it's fun when you get to just go out there and do it.
And you don't even have to say anything.
It's kind of like sticking a middle finger in the air and say, yeah, guess what, people,
here you go.
Yeah, you can only clickbait so much.
You could only clickbait so much.
We'll run out and talk about something else.
What do you think, what do you think the reaction from your dad would have been?
It'd have been good if he gave me a thumbs up.
You think that would have been it?
Yeah.
You don't think it would have been a...
No, he always gave me a hug and he'd be like, good job.
Yeah.
So it was good.
So, you know, he was always very intense and, you know, I think that's shaped me who
I am.
And obviously my brothers as well, my brothers are, you know, two gnarly athletes and, yeah,
they've made it happen from just high school ball and they're both, you know, or D1 scholarships.
So I think that they're, I pay more attention about what they have to get through.
You know, people talk about, you know, we have some weird dorks talking crap about me
on social media and, like, my brother's having a pitch in the bullpen in front of, like,
67 scouts and they're all over top of them.
And I've never seen, I mean, I think that's way more intense than anything I'll have
to get through.
And also my other brother's a catcher and, you know, playing every week and seeing what
they get through is way more intense than what I have to.
So I mean, I look at that, I think, you know, I look up to them and also my sister as well.
So, yeah, people can say, you know, all the social media stuff, but in person, yeah, it's
not like that.
You know, I feel like I don't live on it.
So I don't see any, hardly any of it.
And people obviously in person, yeah, you have a couple of guys that tell you you suck and
maybe flip you off.
But that's not it.
It's not that big of an issue.
I love it.
A lot of the keyboard warriors and I mean, yeah, I love it.
I mean, I think it's, I think it's, we always laugh at it.
And there's one or two guys to show up like, you know, that are going to flip you off for
whatever.
But like my brother's pitching the bullpen and people are screaming at him.
And I mean, I look up to that.
I mean, that's way more intense than what I have to go through any time.
So, yeah.
What is the plan for the spring car and why in the world do you go and race the spring
cars?
And, well, I think it's important for people to know why you go race them because it's
it's not something that you're going to jump right into and be good at.
Right.
And then you know that.
For sure.
I mean, you can be good at it, but to be good at it week after week is pretty difficult
against those guys that what's the, you know, we've seen, I mean, we see Kyle Larson
do it, but he's done it his whole life.
We saw Chase Elliott do it for a while until he flipped out of his mind at the, at the
Chili Bowl and hadn't seen him go back, but being comfortable in those situations where
you have to go out and know you're going to be at a deficit has to be hard.
What's what's the, what's the intrigue there?
Yeah.
I mean, I just enjoy racing and I feel like for me, I don't want to just be a cup guy.
I want to be able to go race all different forms of racing and, and, and challenge myself
and be good at it.
I really enjoy it.
I think, you know, I like it.
People like, uh, like a Mack for sap and does the same thing and it's kind of moving
around.
And so, um, for me, I just want to go race for cars.
I grew up, um, you know, with, uh, Billy Feltz is the guy that kind of raised me, you know,
going racing.
He grew up during racing.
We always talked about it.
And I grew up a little bit doing it as well.
So, um, yeah, I actually have a race tonight, so I'm going to go do that.
But, uh, I just enjoy it.
I think it's cool.
You know, I think it helps me and I think it makes me better.
And I feel like I'm humble enough to get my ass kicked.
I don't think these guys are humble to do it.
So, uh, you know, I don't really care about, you know, it's what it is.
If I'm going to get my ass kicked and, um, obviously these guys are the best at it in
the world and, you know, I might take a couple of tumbles here and there, but that's what's
going to happen.
And I don't really care.
And, um, obviously there's a risk in that, but, you know, most people don't understand
why.
And, uh, I just really enjoy it and much want to get good at it and keep working on my craft.
And I think it helps me in the cup car tremendously as well.
And I think anything, any racing is going to help.
So I just stay after it and grind it away.
I think that the, the biggest thing that people probably don't understand about you is just
your passion for racing is, and that sprint car is a piece of that passion.
But it's the BMX bikes.
It's the, you know, the O'Reilly cars and wins and Arca and now cup and, you know, just
the, the amount of intensity and passion that you have for racing is not known by the,
the everyday fan and even, even the people in the garage.
And I think that is probably one of the most intriguing parts for me in getting to know
you as well as I do now is just your, that's your love of racing.
So don't ever, don't ever lose that.
That's what got you here.
Congratulations on everything that you've done and do it again.
I appreciate it.
Thank you for all the help along the way.
About this episode
Ty Gibbs talks through his first Cup win and why the jump from Xfinity to Cup is so hard to explain. He breaks down the race’s key moments—getting shuffled back, then trusting strategy on late restarts to protect track position. Bristol feels like a “home” win, and the celebration turns personal as he honors his late father and shares how close the Gibbs family is. He also discusses his competitive upbringing, BMX training, and why he still races sprint cars to stay sharp and humble.
Ty Gibbs delivers a powerful breakdown of his first NASCAR Cup Series win at Bristol Motor Speedway, sharing raw insights on the victory, pressure of racing in the Gibbs family, and his future goals in one of the most compelling NASCAR interviews. In this episode of Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour, Kevin Harvick sits down with Ty Gibbs to discuss the emotions behind his breakthrough win, reflect on the impact of his late father, carrying the Gibbs family name in NASCAR, dive into his evolving relationship with crew chief Tyler Allen, and outline his ambitions for the future in the NASCAR Cup Series.
0:00 - Intro
0:25 - Ty Gibbs Joins The Show!
2:04 - Winning First Cup Race At Bristol
3:22 - Relationship With Crew Chief Tyler Allen
6:28 - Emotions After Winning At Bristol
11:12 - Pressure Of Racing In The Gibbs Family
19:11 - Goals For The Future
22:08 - Handling Outside Noise
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