Gibbs to bring his No. 54 to the big stage next season, replace Kyle Busch at JGR.
Christian PetersenGetty ImagesDefending Xfinity Champion and grandson of team owner Joe Gibbs will compete full-time next year in the NASCAR Cup Series, using a new, but familiar, number.
Joe Gibbs Racing made the announcement on Twitter Tuesday afternoon that the 20-year-old champion would get the call to fill the team’s fourth seat, joining Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr. and Christopher Bell.
Gibbs will replace departing Kyle Busch at JGR. However, JGR also stated the car will carry a different number. Gibbs will drive the No. 54 next season, as he has throughout his couple of seasons in Xfinity competition. JGR says they plan to re-use No. 18 driven by Kyle Busch in “future years.”
This announcement comes after weeks of speculation that Gibbs would be the next one in line following the previous announcement that Kyle Busch would be leaving JGR for Richard Childress Racing to drive the 8 car next season.
NEWS: @TyGibbs will compete full time for Joe Gibbs Racing in the 2023 #NASCAR Cup Series behind the wheel of the No. 54 Toyota Camry TRD.
(continued) pic.twitter.com/jKanIitO3C— Joe Gibbs Racing (@JoeGibbsRacing) November 15, 2022
It was also announced that crew chief Chris Gayle will follow Gibbs up to the Cup Series. Gayle was the crew chief for Gibbs last season where they won the championship and collected seven victories along the way.
Gibbs’s first Cup start in 2023 will not be his first career start at that level. He ran 15 Cup races in 2022 as a replacement for 23XI Racing’s Kurt Busch, who was sidelined with concussion-like symptoms from a qualifying crash at Pocono. Gibbs posted a career-best finish of 10th at Michigan during that stretch.
Chris Gayle, who served as crew chief during his NASCAR Xfinity Championship season, will move with Gibbs to serve as crew chief in the Cup Series.JGR intends to utilize the No. 18 in the NASCAR Cup Series in future years.
(end)— Joe Gibbs Racing (@JoeGibbsRacing) November 15, 2022
Keyword: NASCAR Xfinity Champ Ty Gibbs Gets Full-Time Cup Ride for 2023