Ty Gibbs / No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota GR Supra Preview — Contender Boats 300

No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota GR Supra News and Notes

  • ROUND TWO: Ty Gibbs is one of eight Xfinity drivers that have advanced to the second round of the playoffs. He is third in the NASCAR playoffs standings, 19 points behind second-place Noah Gregson. Josh Berry has locked himself in the final four.
  • HOMESTEAD: Gibbs has never raced in NASCAR competition at Homestead-Miami Speedway. 
  • ONE OF THIRTY-SEVEN: Gibbs made his first career NASCAR Cup Series start in July at Pocono Raceway for 23XI Racing. Gibbs is the 37th driver younger than 20-years old to make a Cup Series start. Gibbs started at the rear of the field, but completed all 160 laps and finished an impressive 16th. He has competed in 13 Cup races with a best finish of 10th at Michigan International Speedway.
  • NEW RECORD: Gibbs is the youngest driver ever to reach nine victories in the NASCAR Xfinity Series at age 19 years 10 months and two days old. The previous record was held by Joey Logano.
  • 2021: Gibbs completed in only 18 Xfinity races in 2021, but won four races and finished 13th in the Xfinity Series final driver point standings. That earned him the Xfinity Rookie of the Year award.
  • WHAT A DEBUT: In Gibbs’ Xfinity Series debut in February 2021 at the Daytona Road Course, he led 14 of the 56 laps en route to his first career Xfinity Series win. Gibbs became the youngest driver to win a Xfinity road course race at 18 years, 4 months, 16 days. The Charlotte, N.C., native also became the second-youngest winner in Xfinity Series history after Joey Logano who won in June 2008 at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta when he was 18 years and 21 days old.
  • IN GOOD COMPANY: Gibbs is the sixth driver to win in his Xfinity Series debut, joining Dale Earnhardt, Joe Ruttman, Ricky Rudd, Terry Labonte and Kurt Busch. Those five drivers had already driven in the NASCAR Cup Series before racing in the Xfinity Series.
  • ARCA CHAMPIONS: Gibbs became the 2021 ARCA Menard Series Champions on the strength of 10 wins, plus one win each in ARCA West and ARCA East.
  • ATOP THE PIT BOX: Veteran crew chief Chris Gayle will oversee the No. 54 team’s efforts in the 2022 season. Gale, who is from Little Rock, Arkansas, has led his drivers to two NASCAR Cup Series victories and 35 Xfinity Series wins. The list of drivers Gayle has visited victory lane with includes Gibbs, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Sam Hornish Jr., Erik Jones, Elliott Sadler, Christopher Bell and John Hunter Nemechek.
  • JGR AT HOMESTEAD: Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) has 59 total starts at Homestead in Xfinity competition with five wins, 19 top-five finishes, 37 top-10 finishes and the team has led 735 laps.
  • RACE INFO: The NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Homestead is scheduled for 4:30 pm EDT on Saturday, October 22 and will be broadcast on USA, SiriusXM Channel 90 and MRN.

Ty Gibbs, Driver of the No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota GR Supra

“In September I tested at Homestead in a Cup car for 23XI so I have driven there, but not in competition so it will be a new track for me. Chris Gayle and the 54 boys will bring me a solid Monster Energy Toyota GR Supra and we need a good run as we hope to advance to the final round in the Xfinity Series.”

Chris Gayle, Crew Chief of the No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota GR Supra

“Homestead can be a challenging track and I’m glad that Ty has driven there, albeit in the Cup car. Qualifying and track position are big at Homestead and there are several lanes you can run there. We’ll bring a good Monster Energy Toyota GR Supra and we need a good run as we are hoping to be in the final four.”

JGR PR