After starting 2024 on the back foot at Daytona, Ty Gibbs is making a comeback unlike any other! The #54 Joe Gibbs Racing driver has slowly been chipping away at the front runners, making his climb from a top-ten at Atlanta to a podium at Phoenix Raceway. Fortunately, that trend seems to be continuing with full force after Gibbs secured back-to-back stage wins at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Ty Gibbs opens his book of Cup Series stage wins with a dominant run at the Food City 500

After qualifying as low as 19th for the race at Bristol, Ty Gibbs was on a mission to weave past the competition from the get-go. Giving the day’s favorites, Joey Logano and Christopher Bell, a run for their money, Gibbs showcased early dominance by securing his first-ever NASCAR Cup Series stage win by winning the first stage. While that instance made Gibbs the 33rd driver to win a Cup Series stage, a lot more was to come from the second half.

Nearing the end of the second stage, Gibbs was trailing leader Joey Logano and was in the mix with Christopher Bell and Martin Truex Jr for the top three. With that said Gibbs slotted his #5 Camry XSE into the lead right on time to seal the second stage. Not only had the 21-year-old JGR talent opened his Cup stage wins book earlier, but he had already added another one to that list after Stage 2.

For much of the race, Gibbs was battling with eventual race-winner Denny Hamlin for the lead, falling short once the battle switched to tire management. Gibbs’ teammates, Christopher Bell and Martin Truex Jr also faired better, with the #19 battling Hamlin for the lead when it mattered the most. Speaking of Gibbs, The #54 Toyota Camry XSE came home in 9th, leaving the 21-year-old unsatisfied.

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While the race may not have unravelled the way Ty Gibbs had hoped for, the pace shown by Joe Gibbs Racing and TRD shows prominent signs of what’s in store.

Joe Gibbs Racing’s Bristol dominance highlights TRD’s comeback

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It’s no secret that the 2024 season was dominated by Chevrolet in the first three races. Surprisingly, Toyota and Ford’s new challengers had failed to surpass the Bowtie’s Old Faithful. With talks of the Camry XSE’s package being on the back foot compared to the competition, teams eagerly waited to test out the new TRD car in short tracks.

And as soon as the Camry XSE arrived at Phoenix Raceway, the tides seemed to turn in favor of the Japanese outfit. During this weekend’s race at Bristol, FOX shared an infographic that highlighted TRD’s sudden rise. Over the first three races, TRD cars hadn’t brought in a single pole, stage win, or outright victory. With only 83 laps led in totality at Daytona, Atlanta and Vegas, the Camry XSE wasn’t exactly confidence-inducing.

Fortunately for Joe Gibbs Racing, 23XI and LMC, the Camry XSE has picked up brilliantly at the short tracks. Christopher Bell ended TRD’s drought of victories at Phoenix and was closely followed by teammate Gibbs in third. Speaking of which, the 21-year-old JGR star also brought in two-stage wins at Bristol, making it four stage wins in just two races for TRD. The Camry XSE had also made significant strides in terms of laps led, their tally of 83 had crossed the 550 mark as the race at Bristol progressed.

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With one pole, one win, and four stage wins in these two races, TRD is certainly making a comeback, led by the JGR drivers.