Ty Gibbs, 14, embracing legacy in Late Model Stock Cars

The future of Joe Gibbs Racing has been on display in the Carolinas this summer even if he’s not quite ready for prime time.

That’s because Ty Gibbs is just 14-years-old.

Joe Gibbs’s grandson won his first Limited Late Model race in February at Greenville Pickens Speedway in South Carolina and is now starting to run weekly in the iconic No. 18 Late Model Stock. He captured his first career pole on Saturday in the Bobby Isaac Memorial 150 at Hickory Motor Speedway but ultimately finished sixth.

It was a lesson in race craft, but fortunately, Gibbs has proven to be a quick learner.

“You know, when you race against Lee (Pulliam) and Tommy (Lemons Jr.), you have to catch on in a hurry,” Gibbs told Short Track Scene last weekend. “Racing against them at places like Myrtle Beach teach you to stay calm and keep your patience.

“When you’re a fan, you can see the (tire) fall off but you don’t get it until you race against those guys and feel it.”

Gibbs spent the past couple of years driving asphalt karts and enjoyed success doing it. He made the jump to full-bodied stock cars last fall under the guidance of Greg Marlowe. Even though the LMSC victories have yet to come, Gibbs is more concerned with the process.

The education.

“I feel pretty good about what we’ve done this year,” Gibbs said. “We started out running local races close to home at Hickory. I just wanted to get seat time and experience. I think running more CARS Tour races have helped because these are good fields. That’s what I’m trying to do right now.”

Gibbs will next run the prestigious Valley Star Credit Union 300 at Martinsville Speedway. As per the usual, that race is expected to draw around 75 cars and Gibbs simply hopes to make the feature. If that goes according to plan, Gibbs may run the CARS Tour finale at South Boston Speedway on October 14 and the Myrtle Beach 400 on November 18.

Despite his age and the expectation that comes with his heritage, Gibbs is just a kid having fun.

“It’s not pressure being a Gibbs,” he said. “Not to me. It’s something that I’ve always known. I’m proud of my family but I don’t need to be more than myself. I have good people around me all the time and that’s all I’ve ever known.”

Gibbs expects to make a handful of ARCA Racing Series starts next season and may try a Super Late Model just to enter some of the big national events.

But next up is Martinsville.