NASCAR MEDIA CONFERENCE

August 9, 2026

Joe Gibbs

Tyler Allen

Press Conference

An Interview with:

THE MODERATOR: We're going to get started with our post-race media availabilities. We have now been joined by a man who needs no introduction, Joe Gibbs, and Ty Gibbs' crew chief, Tyler Allen. Joe, we'll start with you. What's it been like this year watching your grandson have a breakout year?

JOE GIBBS: As everybody knows what's happened the last four years really, has been something we're really -- everybody has just kind of fought through a lot, and it's been a long process, Tyler coming on board was a huge deal, and when he got on board, we still had a lot we wanted to do with the team.

And we've been able to do that. I just appreciate him so much. Everybody that chips in our racing, our engineering group, Tony who does such a great job spotting, you've got Cole in the background there, it just means a lot to see all of that, to see where we are now.

Q. Tyler, this has been a breakout year for you. Talk about what it's been like.

TYLER ALLEN: It's been really -- last year was a bit of a struggle, but it was character-building. And I think both Ty and the team have come such a long ways, and we're finally starting to see the results and consistency across all types of race tracks.

It's been really fun. These wins are so incredible. Sometimes they're few and far between and you really have to appreciate them.

Q. Tyler, what was the information you guys had available to you to give you the confidence to make the two-tire call?

TYLER ALLEN: You know, there were a couple of datapoints throughout the race where we had actually taken rights and rights and put a lot of laps on left side tires. We knew after practice the left sides weren't wearing much and they tended to re-fire okay.

In terms of coming into the race, it was definitely a viable option. Really at that point I thought it was the only thing that was going to get us around the 20, and then hopefully we could get enough laps where the tires equalized and they couldn't get by us.

Q. The brake decision within your camp, it seems like all of you guys kind of went different directions and that kind of manifested itself in different ways throughout practice, qualifying and the race. What are you guys looking at in terms of the packages you have available to you, and why did you land where you landed compared to where some of your teammates sit?

TYLER ALLEN: Yeah, I think we finally sort of settled in as a 54 team. We rely on our teammates, all the information is shared, but we're finally building on our notebook from last year and our recent races this year and making decisions that we think suit Ty, and I think we finally got a feel for that.

It takes time to get there, and to get Ty's feedback, get the engineers in tune with what Ty needs, and I think we're really hitting that week in and week out now.

Q. Could you comment a little bit about Ty's development throughout this season and how he's matured, and also, Tyler, you about his technical ability and the fact that he really didn't put a wheel wrong over that last long green flag run?

JOE GIBBS: Yeah, from my standpoint, I think everybody here kind of followed the 54 and what all happened over our three years previous to this. It really shows you how hard our sport is. Man, I was thinking today, just to win one of these races, just so much goes into it.

To think about Denny being there with 64 of them is hard for me to even believe.

I think the 54, it's been -- I think there was a lot that tested almost everybody with the 54. There really was. I think the guys just kept working and coming through it, and I just really appreciate our people there.

I have real confidence now. Our dream was to have four cars, that when we get to the racetrack, that are capable of winning. That's a dream. That doesn't happen very often.

I think right now, I think we're in that spot, and so we want to make the most of it.

Q. For the two-tire/four-tire decision there, was there any hesitation or worry about how this would play out if there was a caution or anything like that, or was it we absolutely need to do this if we're going to pass the 20?

TYLER ALLEN: Yeah, it was top of mind for sure. We were leaning two tires the whole time. It was a matter of when we were going to take them. The 11 had pit behind us. We didn't want them to jump us. We knew the 20 was getting close, and I knew he was leaning four.

At that time, I heard the 20 say "pit," so we pit, and I took rights knowing I would jump him and that Ty was going to have a lot of work to do.

Q. In that situation how communicative are you with Ty about what the circumstances are, what you need for him, and what that call is going to be in advance? Did he know that coming down pit road? Was there any back-and-forth there?

TYLER ALLEN: He knew about the time he hit pit road. Our communication style is really good. There are a lot of times where he says, Tell me what to do, so we make the decision, and he has to go drive. That's what he did today. That's what he did at Bristol. I'm really proud of him.

Q. Tyler, how have you evolved as a crew chief from last year to this year? Because not making the post-season last year, probably some really tough conversations at Joe Gibbs Racing. During the off-season, what were you focused on to most improve as a crew chief?

TYLER ALLEN: Yeah, it was the 54 team as a whole. We had a whole bunch of things we needed to work on. Ty had some things he needed to work on. He went to work. Me and the guys went to work making it our program, making it the 54 team, that equipment, the hauler, everything.

In terms of being a crew chief, I don't think there was any doubt along the way that we knew what we were doing, but the beginning of the season the consistency is what kind of gave the whole team confidence, and myself as well.

Q. Tyler, building off that, about a year ago this weekend you were 16th in points, now you're second. How does a team go like that just in one year?

TYLER ALLEN: Man, we just put our heads down and went to work. All of the Toyotas right now are really, really good. We have to capitalize on that.

I'm really glad we could do that this weekend. Just a bunch of hard work.

Now that we have the confidence as a team, I tell them every week, we do our deal. We do our deal. We don't need to fix anything that's not broken right now, and Ty has done a fantastic job sticking with us and going all 400 or 500 miles, whatever he needs to do, even in adversity. We had that slow pit stop at the beginning of this race, and no one gave up. He's doing a really good job.

Q. Coach, you've had a lot of special driver lineups over the years. Currently all four of your drivers are inside the top 6. How special is this group of guys that you have assembled?

JOE GIBBS: I think they really are. I think they are special. If you look at each one of them, the story was Chase. He came on board. And to see what he's done last year and this year -- last year he sat on seven poles, and I keep thinking about that, how fast he is.

You look at Christopher, I think that was Christopher's fifth second, fourth or fifth. We know how good he is.

With Adam, just a great team there.

And James with Chase, and then Chris with Denny, and obviously Denny is a great story.

I want to say this: I've never seen Denny that exhausted. He got out of that car, and he was sitting there on the pit wall, I think he was so nervous - we all were - about the brakes, and it just put a lot of extra pressure on him. I think he drove his heart out.

But I do think with Chris Gayle there, it's just hard to do, but I feel really good going to the racetrack with all four of our cars.

Q. Coach, I want to ask you first, after the race you walk over, you talk to Christopher, and I want to get your perspective as a coach, not just as an owner. What is it about Christopher when, despite everything that's going on, another second-place finish and all he wants to do is win, he keeps on just putting his head down and being that individual that continues to be positive despite everything?

JOE GIBBS: Yeah, I think it says a lot about him. I know how much he wants to win. I think it just says a lot about his character and the kind of person he is. He's extremely hard worker.

If you want the all-American kid, you can pick Christopher as that guy because he's just -- he's special that way. He's totally focused on racing. He's really a good teammate.

That's the other thing we've got going for ourselves right now is I think we're teammates. All four of us kind of work together.

Now, I get nervous when two of us get up there because that's when I start sweating. But I do think we're real good teammates, and everybody at this point, anyway, is happy.

Q. Tyler, big picture moving forward, with the repave coming next year, is there anything notes-wise you think that you can take to the repave?

TYLER ALLEN: Yeah, and I'm sure we'll get some time to test. I don't know how much there will be to draw from it. Obviously they did the patches in the corners. That gave us a taste of new pavement, so there might be some notes there. But we'll take that when it comes.

Q. Tyler, what's it like for you to have a guy in Ty where you can make that risky call and he will come through on it and bring home a win?

TYLER ALLEN: It's great. I think we've really developed the trust between the two of us over the last year and a half, and it feels really good to have a driver that says, Tell me what to do. Because we've got a whole bunch of really smart people working on this project, and we have to make a decision.

For him to trust that process, it's really nice. We've had some hard calls throughout the year. Some of the road courses, not shortened stages but getting stage points and opportunities to potentially have a win, and we've had some hard discussions about it. But it's days like this and days like Bristol that I think build that trust across the whole group.

JOE GIBBS: I did want to say one thing. We love coming here. That crowd today packed the place. I came here when Ty was racing ARCA. I still remember that night, and there was so many -- Heather and I were on top of the hauler, and it's the only time I ever keyed the mic because in that race - I'm just giving you this - it seemed when everybody went into 3 low, they gained a couple of spots. Heather is just screaming at me, "Tell him go low." I have never keyed the mic. I am out of it when race day starts. I just pray. So I keyed the mic. I said, "Ty, go low in 3."

I think he went, who in the heck? So afterwards, the first thing he said when he walked up to me was, "Yeah, go low in 3 and then get freight trained in 4." So that's the first and last time. I'm out. So I don't make any more calls.

Thank you all. We appreciate it. We love coming here.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you, gentlemen, and congratulations.