It was a breakthrough win for Ty Gibbs at Bristol. But for his grandfather, Joe Gibbs, the victory was a deeply emotional moment. The team owner immediately remembered his late son, Coy, who was instrumental in Ty's career.

After making his 131st start in the Cup Series and being faced with so much criticism for the same, Ty Gibbs finally won his first Cup Series race at Bristol. The JGR driver was joined by his very emotional mother and grandfather during the post-race celebration.

While in an interview with FOX:NASCAR, Joe Gibbs was questioned about how he felt to watch his grandson win. He replied by saying,

“This is one of my best experiences. Obviously when Denny (Hamlin) won, honoring JD's life was such a huge deal. But I think about Coy; he brought Ty up the entire time. I know he's probably watching.”

Joe Gibbs’ son Coy Gibbs passed away in his sleep just hours after watching his son Ty win the Xfinity Series. It was clear that the team boss carries his late son’s memory as he sees his grandson make strides in his NASCAR journey. 

This NASCAR Cup Series seems just like the beginning for the grandfather and grandson duo. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for the Joe Gibbs Racing camp after this win.

Ty Gibbs' First NASCAR Cup Series Victory

The Joe Gibbs Racing driver Ty Gibbs won his first race at Bristol on Sunday after a strategic gamble that worked in his favor. 

While drivers like Kyle Larson and Ryan Blaney pitted during the caution caused by Chase Elliott’s spin with 23 laps to go, Gibbs opted to continue taking the lead of the race. Before this, Gibbs was gaining on Blaney before he could take the lead from Larson.

Despite Larson and Blaney being on fresher tires, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver was able to hold off the two drivers. The two drivers dominated the first two stages of the race, with Larson leading 284 laps and Blaney leading 190 laps. 

However, Kyle Larson and Ryan Blaney had to settle in second and third place behind Ty Gibbs. With this win, Joe Gibbs’ grandson has etched his name alongside the sports greats like Dale Earnhardt Sr., Kurt Busch, and many more who got their first Cup Series win at Bristol.

Read more at RFK Racing Digest!

Written by

Chionia Libania Colaco

Edited by

Kaamna Dwivedi