TY GIBBS, No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota Camry TRD, Joe Gibbs Racing
How does knowing you got a top-10 here last year help your confidence?
“We had a really good car last year. We really did a good job. I thought we finished better. I got caught speeding on that last restart when Denny (Hamlin) had a penalty and had to come from the back. I feel like we were really fast last year, and I really like this track. It’s really fun. You are just hammering down the whole time – really fast. It’s a really cool place. It’s fun to race here.”
How confident are you that you can make the Playoffs?
“I think for me and team, we just have to execute every week. We didn’t really good last week, or I didn’t really do good last week, and we gained a bunch of points still. I’ve just got to do better than that, and I think we will have a better shot. I’ve got all the confidence in my team. I know they are bringing great race cars to the track, and we will see what we can do.”
Can you talk about the pressure that you have with Toyota with the current winning streak Ford has here?
“I think Toyota is always really confident. They bring the best they can every single weekend, and we appreciate Toyota so much for everything they give us to prepare us for the races during the weekend. They do so much for us. I thank them a lot, and I think we will have really good cars here. I think we were really strong last year. Denny (Hamlin) got caught in the end on a penalty from something, and Bubba (Wallace) was up front last year too. I think we were all up front honestly. I’m really confident in my team this year, and I think 23XI will have a great run and I hope we have a great run. Toyota will bring strong cars, and hopefully the Toyota that goes to victory lane will be me (laughter), and then the rest of them can get one whenever they want, but just let me get one.”
How do you go into these race weekends with the pressure of the Playoffs?
“First of all, it’s a rookie season. That’s what everybody has been telling me. It’s alright – just do the best you can. For me, I feel like I go into each race the same – just try to complete the mission and do the best I can and do the best I can with my car. Sometimes I don’t do as good with what my car is capable of so I need to go back and learn, but sometimes I can’t make my car go any faster because something is wrong with it – I just need to suck it up and deal with it, basically, and do the best I can with it. It’s a mental game. Racing is really, really hard. Cup is really, really hard, and I think the Xfinity to Cup jump is three times as hard as it has ever been. You have a whole different car and track position means more than anything, but I really enjoy it and my team does a great job and works really hard. We have a great pit crew, and we will keep working hard.”
Do you feel like you’ve had to temper your aggression in the Cup Series?
“The Cup Series is I feel like is so much different the Xfinity. I feel like you can see it week in and week out. They put on a great show, but the race in Xfinity – everybody is trying to get to Cup, so there is a lot to proof. I think there is already a lot of aggression in that, and of course, everyone wants to get into Cup. The Cup Series is so much different, and why it’s so much different for me is I’ve known Kevin Harvick since I was probably five, and I’ve known so much of these guys since I was super, super young. The respect is already there from me to them. There are times that we do have to be really aggressive. Of course, I’m a rookie so I have to hold my ground a little more than I have, but I think all of the talk about respect in Cup – it’s more of the media talking about it than it’s actually going on. I guess it’s something for you guys to talk about, honestly. I’m not trying to be mean or anything, but I feel like there is so much talk about it, but we have a lot of respect for each other, and I’ve got great respect for my teammates and all of the drivers. I’ve known Kyle Larson since I’ve raced dirt karts, and he came to our motocross shop. I’ve known those guys for so long. It’s so different.”
Have you had to learn when the limit is on pushing the Cup car?
“I’m always going to push it and get the most that I can. There are times that you can push it over the limit, over slip the tire and it’s going to hurt you. That stuff happens, but I feel like for me, I’m going to work the best I can every week. Work hard in the simulator and get my setups really close for the race weekend. Then next year, I’m going to come back, and I’ve been to these tracks before with my team that I’m racing with right now. We are going to be better and keep getting better and better and better. It just doesn’t end.”
Can you talk about what you’ve had to learn with pit stops?
“I think the hard part from going from Xfinity to Cup is the pit stops – it’s a whole different technique for getting in the box. We have the h-pattern, and I can go from second gear and go into neutral, and the Xfinity car, I have to downshift once and then I have to do the rest of my procedure. Sometimes it’s a little challenging going back and forth last year. This year, I’ve had a lot of time to work on it. I think the biggest thing is we have a really great, realistic pit stop car now in the back of our shop and spending more time in that and getting more time practicing and hitting my marks every time is really important, and getting in the race scenarios is important, the most important. It’s just time and getting used to it. I enjoy spending time with those guys as well.”
Can you reflect your memories of Kevin Harvick?
“Growing up as a kid, I’ve known him my whole life. I think as a kid, I’ve had some run-ins with our team and him, a little bit of times. He raced my dad (Coy Gibbs). I grew up around him, and I actually live within two miles of him now. We are pretty close. I’ve just known him for a while, and he’s been really great. I appreciate what he has done for the sport, and I hope he’s has a great rest of his journey. I like watching his kid race too – it’s cool.”
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