Ty Gibbs believes if NASCAR were to remove the digital mirrors off the NextGen car, it could create better racing in the Cup Series. However, the driver of the No. 54 acknowledged that some drivers would not be pleased with the change.
NASCAR introduced digital rear-view mirrors when they rolled out the NextGen car prior to the 2022 season. Normal mirrors are optional, depending on team and driver preference.
If Gibbs had it his way, he would do away with the digital mirrors completely.
Ty Gibbs on taking digital mirrors out: ‘100 percent for it’
Fresh off his second career Cup Series victory last Sunday at Iowa, Gibbs appeared as a guest on “The Dale Jr. Download.”
During the conversation, Gibbs made an interesting statement about the digital mirrors, believing that a handful of current Cup Series drivers would not be in the series without them.
“Honestly, I think if you took the digital camera out of the car, I think it would be a mix of drivers that probably wouldn’t even be in the Cup Series anymore, honestly. … I swear sometimes like, man, if there were no digital cameras in here, some of these guys would definitely not be in Cup,” Gibbs said.
Gibbs believes the digital mirrors make it too easy to make blocks and thwart the momentum of the cat behind them. The grandson of team owner Joe Gibbs recalls being baffled at seeing the same digital mirror while riding a transit bus.
“I was in a transit bus in [Los Angeles] and I was like, ‘Dude, I think that’s the same mirror I run in my Cup car,” Gibbs said.
When Gibbs was asked if he would like the idea of going back to traditional mirrors, Gibbs did not hesitate and believes it would make for better racing.
“I would 100 percent be for that. Obviously, we’d want a car that races a little better in dirty air, but for the time being, I think if you took those out, I think it’d make the racing a little bit better because you can’t just sit there and you at your iPad and just, blip, go up,” Gibbs said.
The digital mirrors are so clear and precise that Gibbs recalls not even needing a spotter when his radio transmission went out in the late laps of a road course race.
“I just spotted for myself in the mirror. I could see everything from the mirror,” Gibbs said.
Ty Gibbs makes statement with Iowa win
Amid his fourth full-time season in the NASCAR Cup Series, Ty Gibbs is finally showing what he is made of.
The former O’Reilly Auto Parts Series champion claimed an elusive first Cup Series win last April at Bristol. On Sunday at Iowa, Gibbs notched his second career win in the series.
With three races remaining until The Chase, Gibbs has put himself in the championship conversation. The 23-year-old climbed to second in points standings and trails points leader Denny Hamlin by 103 points.
With two wins, 10 top fives, and 15 top 10s in the 2026 campaign, Gibbs has made himself one to watch when it comes Chase time.
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