Jimmy Pardue, Todd Bodine, and Bill Dennis (among others) all took turns behind the wheel of the No. 54, but it was Lennie Pond who took the car to the Victory Lane for the last time when he won at Talladega in 1978. Since then, the number carried a quiet, lingering drought, almost like a forgotten curse in NASCAR history. For 48 years, it stood untouched, until Bristol, where that streak was finally snapped in the most dramatic way possible by none other than the Gibbs family heir, who also used the opportunity to call out Chris Gabehart.
Ty Gibbs delivers as No. 54 curse finally ends at Bristol
“It’s awesome! You know, it’s awesome what you can do with great people and winning positions great,” said Ty Gibbs in his post-race interview. “You know I would love for my father to see this, but I know he knew it was going to happen and expect it as well. So yeah, it was a great day for us. My 54 boys didn’t give up.”
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That raw emotion from Ty Gibbs said it all. At Bristol Motor Speedway, history was made as in his 131st start, Gibbs finally had his maiden NASCAR Cup Series win, holding off late charges from Ryan Blaney and Kyle Larson in a dramatic overtime finish.
Gibbs started the race fifth, leading 25 laps, but he made his move at an important juncture. His run on the final lap was blistering as he clocked 15.871 seconds (120.9 mph). This, followed by his strategy of not pitting for the last 121 laps, were key to Gibbs securing the win on the day.
While it was a special race for the No. 54 team, one name made an entry into the proceedings after the race, and it was Chris Gabehart.
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The former Joe Gibbs Racing employee departed the team amid internal tensions and had a complicated history tied to the No. 54. He is now serving as Chief Motorsports Officer at Spire Motorsports. His exit was messy as it included legal action from JGR over alleged contract violations and confidential information disputes.
In what was a slight dig at Gabehart, Gibbs said in his post-race interview, “People say false things.” This was related to a claim the former Joe Gibbs Racing employee made in court about the young driver not being in competition meetings.
Yet, on this day, none of that mattered because the No. 54 of Ty Gibbs secured a win. It silenced the noise, ended a 48-year drought, and proved that whatever was said in the past, the results on track speak the loudest.
Bristol’s first-time winner legacy
Long before Ty Gibbs snapped the No. 54 drought, Kurt Busch was the last driver to experience that breakthrough moment at Bristol Motor Speedway. Back in 2002, Busch survived Bristol to register his first-ever win. The race was everything fans expected from the half-mile coliseum: chaos, contact, and controversy.
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Busch leaned into all of it. After gambling on a pit strategy, he stayed out during a crucial caution while leaders like Dale Earnhardt Jr. came down pit road. This helped him get better track position with 85 laps to go, which is important to win in a track like Bristol.
Jimmy Spencer was still pushing for a win. At one stage late in the race, he got to Busch’s bumper and powered past him late in the race. However, what followed was classic Bristol. In Turn 2 on the very next lap, Busch gave Spencer the taste of his own medicine. It nearly sent Spencer spinning, but he managed to save it, but his hopes of contention were over.
The race ended the only way a Bristol thriller can, with tension still boiling. A final caution bunched the field, giving Spencer one last shot, but he couldn’t get back to Busch’s rear bumper in time.
“There’s nothing better than the first one,” Busch said after climbing out, grabbing the checkered flag, and celebrating in raw, emotional fashion.
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Two decades later, Ty Gibbs’ win feels like a modern echo of that night, because at Bristol, first wins aren’t handed out. They’re fought for, and Kurt Busch and Ty Gibbs are a testament to that!
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