To nobody’s surprise, Ty Gibbs will race in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2023 with his grandfather’s Joe Gibbs Racing. To many’s surprise, however, it will not be in the #18 Toyota Camry.
In a bit of a twist, Gibbs will continue using #54 like he did in the Xfinity Series. Although #18 has been a JGR staple since their inception in 1992 and Gibbs used it in the ARCA Menards Series, he has developed an identity around #54 as he won with it in his Xfinity début along with ten more races and the 2022 championship.
#18 has been JGR’s flagship number as Dale Jarrett won the 1993 Daytona 500 in it followed by Bobby Labonte‘s 2000 championship and Kyle Busch‘s two titles and fifty-six wins. The number became synonymous with Busch during his fifteen years with JGR, but his departure for Richard Childress Racing in 2023 and Gibbs being deemed ready for Cup prompted the change to signal a new era. JGR still intends to revive the number in the future, though it is unknown whether they will switch one of their other existing cars (#11, #19, #20) to #18 or if an ally like 23XI Racing—who has not reached the four-car limit—would assume the role.
Assuming another team does not scoop it for themselves, the 2023 Daytona 500 will be the first Cup race without a #18 since the 1991 season ender in Atlanta. Greg Sacks was the only driver to use the number that year at the Daytona 500.
Despite being only 20 years of age, Gibbs has already become the hottest young prospect in NASCAR. He won the ARCA championship in 2021 along with four races in a part-time Xfinity schedule before elevating to a full slate in 2022. He won seven times en route to the title, though not without some controversy due to his driving style.
With the exception of the finale at Phoenix due to his father Coy‘s passing, Gibbs also ran the second half of the 2022 Cup season with 23XI as an injury replacement for Kurt Busch. In fifteen starts, his best finish was tenth at Michigan.
His graduation also adds a new layer to the Rookie of the Year battle as he joins Noah Gragson, now with Petty GMS Motorsports, in the class. Gibbs and Gragson have developed a rivalry in the Xfinity Series, and they finished 1–2 in the championship battle.
Gibbs’ crew chief Chris Gayle will follow him to the Cup Series. The fate of Ben Beshore, who served in the role for Busch, was not immediately revealed.