By way of the primary 14 weeks of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Collection season, Ty Gibbs was billed as one of many high drivers within the collection. Whereas he is nonetheless a viable contender, the No. 54 group has noticeably cooled off in latest weeks, which might be a trigger for concern.
Gibbs climbed as excessive as second in factors after the fifth race of the season at Bristol, and picked up eight top-10 finishes within the first 14 races of 2024. After a rookie season the place Gibbs missed the Cup Collection playoffs in 2023, his sizzling begin to 2024 was a welcome, albeit sudden signal.
Nonetheless, Gibbs solely has one top-15 end the final 4 races, and whereas Nashville gives a superb alternative for him to notch his first Cup Collection victory, it is a race that would show essential in turning his summer time round if he is capable of place within the top-10.
After a strong Eleventh-place run in St. Louis, an early crash pressured Gibbs right into a thirty seventh place end at Sonoma. One week later at Iowa, Gibbs suffered the identical destiny as his teammate Denny Hamlin, as each Joe Gibbs Racing drivers have been caught with horrendously gradual vehicles. Gibbs ended his day at Iowa in twenty fifth, and adopted that up with an equally uninspiring Sixteenth-place end at New Hampshire.
Whereas Sonoma was merely a case of Gibbs making a mistake, the opposite three races on this powerful four-race span all appear to have the identical wrongdoer behind them – a easy lack of pace. As soon as flowing by way of the No. 54 group’s aspect of the store like milk and honey, Gibbs has been given little pace to work with over the previous 4 races.
Gibbs presently sits thirteenth on the playoff grid, 82 factors above the lower line, but when a brand new winner have been to strike within the subsequent few races, he might be at risk of being on the playoff bubble. A win is not essential to Gibbs making the postseason subject, however Nashville must be a race the place the No. 54 group is concentrated on merely discovering pace once more.
In 2023, Gibbs introduced house a 14th place end at Nashville. Whereas that definitely would not be a horrible outcome, it falls properly beneath the expectations set by each Gibbs and all the Joe Gibbs Racing group.
Sunday’s Ally 400 will go inexperienced shortly after 3:30 p.m. ET, with protection being supplied on NBC, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
