Entering 2025, Ty Gibbs had amassed over 71 starts in the NASCAR Cup Series without a victory, ranking among the longest active droughts in the sport. His stat line through mid-June was stark: only a handful of top-five finishes, none in 2025, despite flashes of speed early in the season. At Michigan, he managed a podium-worthy third but lamented, “Wish we could have got one… I feel like we showed we were fast enough to go do it.” Finally, a mid-season transformation took hold. From the AutoTrader EchoPark race forward, Gibbs limited his worst finish to 14th and racked up a string of consistent top-ten results across road courses and mile ovals, steadily climbing to 19th in points amid his maiden playoff push.

With momentum building, Gibbs advanced through the newly created NASCAR In-Season Challenge bracket as the #6 seed, defeating Justin Haley, AJ Allmendinger, Zane Smith, and Tyler Reddick to earn a spot in the championship race at the Brickyard 400, where he would face off against Kaulig Racing’s Ty Dillon. Dillon’s Cinderella run as the #32 seed, eliminating top-seeded Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski, and Alex Bowman, set up what NASCAR called a “battle of the Tys” with a $1 million prize at stake in one of racing’s most iconic venues. And now, fans have their answer.

Ty Gibbs overcomes critics and challenges in emotional In-Season win

When the green flag dropped at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the stakes transcended typical race expectations. With overtime after a red-flagged race, Ty Gibbs had been running 18th in the standings while Ty Dillon had been running 30th position, clearly indicating one winner between the two. The significance was not lost on Gibbs: a career-defining breakout that matched promotional buildup with on-track execution and validated months of perseverance for the 22-year-old Joe Gibbs Racing star.

As part of NASCAR’s inaugural Ty vs. Ty In-Season Challenge, Gibbs’ consistent performance across tracks like Chicago (2nd), Sonoma (7th), and Dover (5th) gave him the edge, even with a 21st-place finish at Indianapolis. That was enough to seal the deal and secure the lucrative payout, and as the camera zoomed in on the checkered-suited 21-year-old, he beamed, flashing his winner’s chain. “Show it off one more time, Ty. Congratulations,” the pit reporter said, prompting Gibbs to respond with gratitude and a grin: “Yeah, it’s great. First of all, I want to say all glory to God. And the other thing I want to say is, you know, a million bucks is a lot of money.”

Despite the celebratory vibe, Gibbs made it clear that this win wasn’t all about personal gain. In a moment of humility and sportsmanship, he revealed his decision to share the spotlight with his rival, Ty Dillon. “I’m going to give $10,000 to wherever Ty Dillon wants to, you know, choose to tie to or give to a charity. So it’s his choice. I appreciate it,” said Gibbs. The gesture, spontaneous and genuine, offered a rare moment of camaraderie in a sport often ruled by high-stakes intensity.

Gibbs’ post-race reflections were laced with gratitude for his team, sponsors, and the opportunity. “Honestly, thank you so much to everybody that’s a part of this deal. Ray Fritz, Dave Gellin, Tom Norwood, Mitch Covington, Rodney, everybody that’s kind of a part of it. Thank you to TNT and NASCAR for this opportunity and awesome to win it,” he said.

While Gibbs didn’t finish the race as he would have liked, his performance throughout the challenge more than made up for it. “We had a fast Monster Energy Toyota Camry,” he explained. “Did not end up where we wanted to be there at the end. We just lost track position and kind of was out of the way to win the race, so I had to kind of play it a little bit safe.” The strategy might not have landed him in Victory Lane at the Brickyard, but it was the bigger picture that mattered, and Ty knew it.

When asked how this high-stakes win compared to his Xfinity Series championship, Gibbs admitted the weight of both accomplishments. “Five weeks, five races, Ty. You’re also an Xfinity Series champion. Which one was more stressful?” the interviewer asked. “I don’t know. They were both super stressful, but super cool to win it,” he said. “And it’s an honor and I’m very blessed to be in this situation.”

Even with a turbulent final stage, which included overtime and a wreck, Ty stayed focused on the challenge outcome rather than just the immediate result. And with eyes on long-term consistency, Ty Gibbs has now proven he can convert patience into prize money, and maybe even momentum heading deeper into the 2025 season. But Joe Gibbs has more players to lean on from now.

Joe Gibbs’ legacy is being carried forward by Denny Hamlin

From the very beginning, Denny Hamlin‘s story has been rooted in loyalty, something that’s become increasingly rare in modern NASCAR. When Joe and J. D. Gibbs handed Hamlin the keys to the #11 car back in 2005, he wasn’t a household name or proven prospect. “They’re the ones that went out on a limb and hired me when I had nothing, and nothing of nothing,” Hamlin said before the Brickyard 400. That leap of faith has now stretched into a 20-year journey, cemented by a new contract that locks him in through 2027.

J. D. Gibbs discovered Hamlin at Hickory Speedway and invited him to an Xfinity test, one that the young driver vividly remembers. “I must have pounded the wall off Turn 2, at least the first 20 laps in a row, and destroyed the car,” he laughed. “Finally, I got the knack of it… and after that, I just took to it.” Joe Gibbs would later recall, “Of course, Denny killed it.” That raw grit turned into 58 up wins and a deep family bond, especially with Judy Gibbs, who Hamlin said, “obviously believed in me quite a bit.”

“And it’ll be well over 20 years that I’ll be with them,” Hamlin added. “And couldn’t imagine racing for any other organization, much less family.” For him, this contract wasn’t about money; it was about legacy. While Ty Gibbs carves out his own million-dollar moment in the NASCAR spotlight, it is clear he is carrying forward a generational tradition rooted in the same belief that launched Hamlin’s career. The family that once bet on a nobody is now racing into the future, still together, still loyal.