NASCAR MEDIA CONFERENCE

April 12, 2026

Ty Gibbs

Press Conference

An Interview with:

THE MODERATOR: We are now joined by the first-time winner in the NASCAR Cup Series, Ty Gibbs. How does that sound to you?

TY GIBBS: Feels good. Thank you.

THE MODERATOR: We'll start with questions.

Q. All the distractions, noise for the last six months, last few years, what do you think about all of that?

TY GIBBS: I truly have a passion and love for racing. People can say what they want, can say false things. I don't really have an issue with it. I'm not big on social media. I just love racing cars. In a blessed position to do this. Just try to maximize my resources. I really love it.

It overcomes that. Yeah, it's an honor to be part of the 54 group, especially at Joe Gibbs Racing. It's super cool.

Q. What would you say to your detractors right now?

TY GIBBS: I don't know. I don't care. My distractors?

Q. Detractors.

TY GIBBS: What does that mean?

Q. (No microphone.)

TY GIBBS: I don't know. I don't care. Something else to focus on, I guess. I guess today they're going to have to focus on something else.

New word I learned (smiling).

Q. Tyler said when he was in here that you guys had a conversation in the off-season and that one of the focuses was that you wanted to have fun. Having a fun, loose Ty Gibbs is a fast Ty Gibbs. Why were you unable or not having fun before?

TY GIBBS: I mean, I've always had fun. I think that's taken out of turn.

I think I truly enjoy the position I'm in, obviously being around such great group of people is so much fun. These guys love racing as much as I do, or even more, and I know I love it a lot. Having that is super important.

Having a great group of guys, building off of what we had last year, getting better and better from half the season on, keep improving our notebook is really important.

Fortunately have been really fast in Bristol in the past. Haven't won, but have been close. To win here, especially my first win is super cool.

Q. Is this validation at all for you as a driver?

TY GIBBS: No. One win doesn't change my career not one bit. I knew I was capable of it. My team, obviously I know they're capable of it.

Yeah, doesn't mean anything. I could win the next five or just win this one and be done for a long time. It doesn't mean anything.

I feel like I knew I was capable of doing it. It's obviously about putting it together. We've had great runs in the past. People are going to hammer me on my position I'm in. That's fair. I don't really care. Just keep working hard. I really love racing, so it's fun.

Q. Does it mean anything to hold off two former Cup champions in the end?

TY GIBBS: It's super cool. Ryan and Kyle, I have a ton of respect for them. To be able to race them is awesome. Honestly, I was just happy that the race was sick at the end and we were all sliding around and racing for the win. I think that was super cool. Hopefully it put on a great show for the fans.

Super cool. I've watched those guys a lot of my life in NASCAR. To race with them is awesome, it's an honor.

Q. I talked to Kyle Larson about this earlier. I want your perspective. Older tires over time, how did you know it was going to stick on the outside line?

TY GIBBS: Well, I watched Reddick bomb it up top and almost passed me. I made sure I had to get up there next time. Obviously we had another restart. I just stuck it up top and hammered down from there. He had hammered the top and had a lot of grip still, which is surprising because it didn't look like it at all. I just stuck the top and hammered down from there.

Q. Yesterday during media availability in here you said for Bristol had you to hammer the hell out of it. You did that on the last restart. How did you hold off those two guys and how hard are you hammering it?

TY GIBBS: I had old tires, so I couldn't hammer it too hard. I had to keep myself within the grip and the reason.

Yeah, it was cool. Obviously started off really weird. Once the top got rubbered in, you could make speed up top. The middle was always slick.

The bottom is really rubbered up. I was really slick. If you hit the yellow line, you wouldn't make the corner, especially in three and four. Having to be really consistent, almost like a robot to compete with Kyle and Ryan. Fortunately just was a great day. Car was really good and I could do that.

Q. Over the last couple of years I feel like in a lot of ways you've been reserved publicly, insulated yourself. Why is that? Does winning, does it make you more willing to want to be part of a larger part of the discourse in the NASCAR community?

TY GIBBS: I mean, yeah, I feel like I could be a lot bigger in the community than what I am. I just enjoy privacy. I don't really want to show off a lot, too.

I just enjoy training on my bike with Justin Braden and Johnny O'Mara, getting strong, working hard during the week. I'm not to here be a moving billboard. I don't really care. I don't have any social media on my phone at the moment. I just really enjoy racing and focusing on my myself.

Q. Mental health is probably better that way.

TY GIBBS: I don't really care what half the people are doing. Not just this week, any week. It's not going to make me better. That's the way I look at it.

Q. The situation line of scrimmage year with you and Tyler, Chris as part of that briefly, that's the sort of dynamic that if it goes a certain way, it could drive a wedge or create tension or questions, lack of faith or conviction. That didn't happen with you guys. How did you and Tyler continue to stay on the same page? Was that fractured at all? How relieving is it to go through all of that together and land year?

TY GIBBS: Yeah, me and Tyler knew the whole way it's going to end up where we're at now. I think we both had the same mindset on it. Tyler is a very mentally strong crew chief. To have him as my guy, it means a lot to me.

He has my back. I have his back. We're both young guys chasing it. So we stuck it through. People could doubt us as much as they want. Until we can get in the spot to do it, we hammered down and won. It's super sick.

I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Tyler. Tyler is the best person I could work with. A lot of other people, obviously, too. I wouldn't be here in it wasn't for my team.

Q. Being up in Victory Lane, it was like a total family affair. What does it mean to have the support? You're a really tight-knit family. Seems like the last few years have brought you closer.

TY GIBBS: Yeah, for sure. It's just an honor to win with my family. I've watched a lot of my team guys do it over the years. I think it's so cool.

To be able to do it finally is awesome. I obviously think we knew it was going to come soon. We've been running so strong. For it to happen at Bristol is super cool. It's an honor.

So yeah, super proud to have my family here. Obviously family business is pretty difficult times. I feel like it's always been a lot of fun. Keep working hard. I'm around great people, not just my family. Those people work really hard. I don't think people realize that we all have shipping companies and stuff to pay for our team. Those guys chase sponsors in a legit way. I don't think anybody at the top level does it like JGR does. I think it's a lot of credit towards them.

I'm not saying it's a different thing to do that, but those guys work really hard for what we have. It's super cool to be a part of it. Maximizing my resources is awesome.

Q. (No microphone.)

TY GIBBS: Yeah, I mean, I think coach started with two million bucks is what he always said. I think it's worth a lot more than that now. I think that was a great investment for him. Going to the shop early, before 6 a.m., after 7 p.m., they're always there. I think that shows. I don't think a lot of owners are doing that nowadays.

Yeah, they're after it. Coach is after it. My mother is after it. My cousins are after it. We're all chasing one goal: winning.

Q. Did you have to learn how to have fun doing this again? Obviously the Cup level is so hard. Did you have to learn how to have fun doing this again?

TY GIBBS: No, I've always enjoyed racing. Obviously I think having the right people around you, it means a lot. It makes a big difference.

I think that. Obviously just getting experience. I mean, getting your ass kicked kind of sucks. I don't think a lot of people, maybe if they put a face, come and be all butterflies. It kind of sucks sometimes. But I really love it. If I didn't love it, I wouldn't be doing it, maybe doing something else. I just truthfully love it. Keep staying after it.

Q. What do you feel like has been the most rewarding part of this journey so far?

TY GIBBS: I mean, just building my character, learning from great people in my life. Being able to be around great role models my whole life. Obviously kind of watching a team establish itself, as the 54 team is a new group, especially at JGR, a lot of those guys have been together for a long time. We all respect that. To be able to add another team is super cool.

I think that's the most rewarding part. The rewarding part is also working with a bunch of great guys every single week that want to win as much or more than I do. I think that's really important.

Q. You mentioned earlier you've had some strong runs here at Bristol. Now you get that first win. How special is it to win here at Bristol in particular?

TY GIBBS: Yeah, I mean, I remember coming here watching Kyle Busch and all these guys race when I was younger, watching them win multiple times here.

Being super young, watching that, I think as I get in my racing career, it's super important. I always wanted to win here. To be able to have my first win be at Bristol, is so honorable for me. Such a great racetrack. We've had so much success here. To be able to add my name to it is super cool.

Obviously could have happened anywhere else. We are close to Darlington as well. That's great place as well. To have it happen here is super meaningful. We're close to home. I remember coming here watching races on Sunday or Saturday night and going back to school on Monday at Charlotte Prep, I remember going back and being so stoked in fourth grade that we won, Kyle won.

To be able to win here is awesome. Watching everybody in here obviously in review, everybody that's won, to be in this position, it's super cool. It's surreal.

Q. I've been around a long time, so I've interviewed a lot of first-time Cup winners. You are confident in your talent. One thing I remember most of them saying is, I know feel like I belong. When you walk into the garage, when someone asks you a question in a media scrum, you knew you belonged here. Do you think there's any sense of you feeling that? Drivers were up in Victory Lane, a number of drivers, saying "good job." Do you feel like the first win in the Cup Series is like, I'm one of them now?

TY GIBBS: No, not necessarily. I mean, I don't think one win's going to change my life or my career. I mean, I have a great life after this. You know what I mean? One win doesn't change it.

I know those guys have a lot of respect for me, via lot of respect for them. It's not just coming up there and telling me a good job. I already know that. It's super cool to have that. It's an honor.

Everybody is when is he going to get his first win? When is it going to happen? It doesn't matter for me. We've been consistent this year. Obviously running up front you're going to have that happen. We came back from pretty deep today and won it. Super cool.

It's an honor to win here. Staying after it. To win it is super cool.

Q. Your mom was focused on the young drivers coming up through the series who fans are evaluating or giving them a hard time. They're moving up to the level where you're in Cup. She said I hope they stick with it. She kind of saw that in you. She was talking about all the racers that might see that in you on your way up to where you're at now being a Cup winner.

TY GIBBS: Yeah, for sure. Being a young driver is a ton of fun. That is ton of emotion involved with being a young driver. I think the biggest thing is looking at the big picture. I would love to say that to myself a couple years ago. I think that's the biggest thing. It's fun.

Obviously being a young driver, you have to fight for your position. No matter what you have, as much money as you have, it cannot be guaranteed for the next year.

Just stay after it. Work hard. Ignore all the noise, all the social media rants from all these random people. Doesn't matter. They're not going to change your racing career. Stay after it. Work hard. Social media doesn't mean anything. Go win races, have fun.

Racing obviously, having a love for what you're going to do in your career is the most important thing. Showing up early and all that just is a ton of fun. If you love it, that's what it is.

Q. The first-time winners is a exclusive list. How does it feel to add your name to that list?

TY GIBBS: Repeat that.

Q. The first-time winners at Bristol, Rusty, Dale, Ernie Irvan and Kurt Busch.

TY GIBBS: It's super cool. Those are the most bad-ass guys there ever was. Kurt having his first win, me having my first win, it's super cool.

I'm in the Monster colors. Obviously Kurt was in them, too. Kurt has been such a big help for me in my career. I really appreciate him, as well. I appreciate all the things I learn. It's an honor.

Q. You and your crew chief have both mentioned this year when you came into the season you have each other's back. There's also another thing that came out this weekend, and that is that you are participating more in the competition meetings and giving feedback. From last year to this year, how have you matured in your race craft and how have you matured as a person?

TY GIBBS: Yeah, I mean, I've stayed after it the whole time. Obviously people are going to say false things about how I wasn't present in meetings. I've been the same the whole time, just to clarify that.

We've had a ton of fun this year. Tyler has been such a great crew chief. People are going to stir stuff up in the media. I might not be the most-liked person, so everybody is going to jump on it because they don't have much going on. That's what's going to happen.

We've been in all the meetings, hammering down, working hard, pushing teammates to the win and stuff like that, like last year at Talladega.

Yeah, it's been a ton of fun. Yeah, no worries about all that other stuff. Just keep working hard with Tyler. Me and Tyler obviously have been through a lot, a lot of crazy stuff. To be in the position we're at now, we both believe in each other, we knew it the whole time. It's super cool to work with Tyler. Tyler is the one. Credit to Tyler.

Q. How have you matured as a person?

TY GIBBS: I'm 23. I was 22 last year. You don't feel you're that older when you're that young. It's a lot of experience. To have another lap around the sun is a pleasure. Keep hammering down.

Q. You talked about the respect from your competitors. How much does that mean to you to be congratulated by your competitors?

TY GIBBS: Yeah, it's super cool. Obviously, like I said, those guys have a ton of respect for me, I have a ton of respect for them. To be able to have that is awesome. Always really appreciate it. I grew up watching a lot of these guys in my career. For them to come up and say that to me, being the young person, feel like I wouldn't believe that. It's super cool. It's an honor.

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations on the win.