Ty Gibbs is getting his hands dirty in his first Chili Bowl start

toyota driver ty gibbs Not as experienced in dirt racing as some of the other big NASCAR names (like kyle larson And christopher bell) will compete at the Chili Bowl Nationals this week. But the challenge has excited him.

“It’s been fun,” he told Motorsport.com. “Every time I sit in the car, I feel like I’ve learned a lot. I’ve had a lot of fun. I wish I could do more… I’d love to do more.”

The 22-year-old is about to begin his third full-time season at the NASCAR Cup level, but being in Tulsa is a welcome departure from the hustle and pressure of a normal NASCAR race weekend.

“I grew up with my dad (Coy) participating in supercross races and things like that,” Gibbs said. “I miss it. I wish I could go back. But it gives me a feel for it… It’s fun and I love it.”

He kept coming back to the word “fun” again and again — but that doesn’t mean Gibbs hasn’t faced any hardships since arriving at Oklahoma. Learning dirt racing on the track while also trying to make your way to the main event is no easy task.

“It’s just different,” Gibbs said. “The hard thing is you don’t have that many laps. I feel like I’m half the race done, I’m thinking about doing something and learning, but then I have, like, three laps to go and I’m sliding like, a boy for 9th.”

To put it in NASCAR terms, Gibbs said his situation is “like coming to the Coke 600 for your first asphalt start. It’s totally different, but I really like it. I like the challenge of getting better at things. Yes. I like the grind and the grind.” Work.”

He only wishes he had “figured things out sooner” as he continues to make progress behind the wheel of his Toyota Dirt Midget car.

“I’m having a lot of fun. I didn’t really have any expectations of where I wanted to be. And if I could put it all together, I’d be a lot better off than I am now — but that’s just part of the learning. “

And with coach Joe Gibbs opening the door to such a race for his drivers, the grandson of the JGR team owner hopes this is the start of his Chili Bowl adventure.

Gibbs concluded, “I would love to make this the first of many Chili Bowls.” But first, he is aiming for the main event on Saturday. He’ll have to fight his way through the alphabet soup of a heat race, which will likely come from the G-Men this weekend.

After this, Gibbs’ focus returned to the rapidly approaching NASCAR Cup season. The former Xfinity Series champion and Toyota Racing driver has yet to win a Cup race in 87 starts, but he has 12 top-fives and a runner-up finish at Darlington. Last year, he led more than 400 laps and made the playoffs for the first time, finishing the season 15th in the championship standings. Like his 2025 run at the Chili Bowl, Gibbs is eager to continue moving forward.