As Ty Gibbs celebrated his first-ever Cup Series win on Sunday at Bristol Motor Speedway, he celebrated with both his family and many of his fellow NASCAR drivers. While he might be one of the least popular drivers among fans, the support Gibbs has in the racing world might speak even more about him.
Recapping his teammate’s monumental win on Sunday, Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin revealed on Actions Detrimental that Kevin Harvick has been mentoring the young driver.
“He’s really been workign Kevin harvick quite a bit in his sim sessions and I think Kevin is a great asset to him. To bounce his 25 or 30 years of experience, that Kevin has in NASCAR. To have someone in your hip pocket like that, guiding you through this, is very, very valuable.”
Denny Hamlin on Kevin Harvick mentoring Ty Gibbs
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Just a few weeks ago, the youngest Gibbs was the subject of mockery from fans and unexpected scrutiny that became public. In his first two races of the season, Gibbs finished 23rd in the Daytona 500 and then 37th in the Autotrader 400. Things only got worse for him publicly after that thanks to another NASCAR lawsuit.
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During the discovery process in the legal battle between Joe Gibbs Racing and Chris Gabehart, Gibbs came under fire. Gabehart claimed that the young driver received “differential treatment” at JGR, including being held to different “meeting attendance standards.” For a young driver who was already strongly disliked among fans, it added fuel to the fire that he was a nepotism hire.
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Since then, Gibbs has finished sixth or better in six consecutive races and he leads the Cup Series in average finishing position (4.5) over that stretch. The 23-year-old is starting to perform like the driver who dominated the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and was once one of the top prospects in NASCAR.
Hamlin also shared that he’s “personally noticed” that Gibbs now carries a more positive attitude into the building and on the track. He’s demonstrated a willingness to be mentored, taking lessons from Harvick, and he’s now racing his peers cleaner. All of that led to his first Cup Series win and with the support system he has, another could be coming this season.
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