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RICHMOND, VIRGINIA – APRIL 02: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 Mars Crunchy Cookie Toyota, waits on the grid during qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond Raceway on April 02, 2022 in Richmond, Virginia. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

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RICHMOND, VIRGINIA – APRIL 02: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 Mars Crunchy Cookie Toyota, waits on the grid during qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond Raceway on April 02, 2022 in Richmond, Virginia. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
Should Kyle Busch leave Joe Gibbs Racing at the end of this season, who will replace him isn’t a big question. However, the bigger question is- when will Joe Gibbs know when to pull the trigger and make the call?
The answer to his question is what Steve Letarte recently described.
“Kyle Busch is a two-time champion and assuming they can agree on his value and sponsorship and the business side of Kyle Busch, I would prefer him back in the #18 if I’m Joe Gibbs Racing because Kyle Busch is Kyle Busch,” Letarte said.
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“He could go on and have an eight-win season, he could become a champion again. His firepower behind the wheel is not in question,” the NASCAR analyst continued.
“But I will say that if I am Coy Gibbs, Joe Gibbs, and the decision-makers at Joe Gibbs Racing, and I don’t feel I can get it done with Kyle Busch, I have zero concern putting Ty Gibbs into Cup Series.”
Steve Letarte wouldn’t be scared of putting Ty Gibbs in place of Kyle Busch
Steve Letarte described how regardless of the success a driver has in the lower series, once they get into the Cup, they’re always at least 50 to 80 starts from really coming face to face with the series.
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“There is a length of time required to get good and I think whether you keep Ty in Xfinity for two more years, that doesn’t shorten the window when he gets to the Cup,” he continued.

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DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 16: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M’s Toyota, looks on during qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series 64th Annual Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 16, 2022 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
Irrespective of this, Letarte wants Busch to be the first choice, but if they can’t get it done for “the business reasons”, they should start on the “learning curve” of Ty Gibbs.
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“It’s steep. It’s going to be steep whenever you enter. I know he’s young… but I wouldn’t be scared of putting Ty in,” he added.
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