Ty Gibbs recalls watching the likes of Kyle Busch dominate NASCAR races at Bristol in his younger days.
Now, the 23-year-old can call himself a Cup Series winner at “The Last Great Colosseum.”
After fending off Ryan Blaney and Kyle Larson to earn his first career Cup Series victory in Sunday’s Food City 500, Gibbs reflected on what it meant to get that maiden win at a track like Bristol.
Ty Gibbs becomes sixth different driver to win first Cup race at Bristol
Gibbs joined elite company as a first-time winner.
Dale Earnhardt, Rusty Wallace, Ernie Irvan, Elliott Sadler, and Kurt Busch all won their first NASCAR Cup race at the Tennessee short track. On Sunday, Gibbs added his name to that list.
“It’s super cool. I’m in the Monster colors and, obviously, Kurt was in them, too. It’s awesome. Kurt’s been such a big help for me in my career and I really appreciate him as well. We’ll just keep working hard. I appreciate all the things I’ve learned. It’s an honor,” Gibbs said.
Gibbs has put together strong runs at Bristol in the past.
Last fall, he paced the field for 201 laps and placed first and second in stages one and two.
However, he ended up mired back with a 10th-place result.
In last year’s Food City 500, Gibbs wheeled his way to a third-place finish.
The grandson of car owner Joe Gibbs had fallen just short before, but he found a way to victory on Sunday.
It is a track that Gibbs had always hoped to win at, with one reason being his recent success at the 0.5-mile track.
“I always wanted to win here. To be able to have my first win be [at] Bristol is so honorable for me. It’s such a great racetrack. We’ve had so much success here, so being able to add my name to it is super cool,” Gibbs said.
Ty Gibbs recounts childhood memories of watching races at Bristol
Once a fourth-grade kid watching Kyle Busch wheel the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota to victory at Bristol, Gibbs now has a BMS trophy of his own.
During Sunday’s post-race press conference, Gibbs spoke to the sentimental significance of winning at Bristol. Gibbs had a lot of fond memories at the track as a kid, and added one more as a 23-year-old Cup driver on Sunday.
“We’re close to home. I remember coming to watch races on Sunday or Saturday night and go back to school on Monday and being so pumped. … I remember going back in and being so stoked in fourth grade that Kyle won. That’s super cool. To be able to win it here is awesome,” Gibbs said.
Gibbs’ first career win was the culmination of a strong run in 2026.
In the last six races, Gibbs has finished no worse than sixth and tallied five top-five finishes. His Bristol victory boosts him up to fourth in the Cup Series points standings.
Prior to the Cup Series, Gibbs dominated the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series in 2022, winning seven races and capturing the championship at season’s end.
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