NASCAR: Ty Gibbs Wins Pole for Saturday’s Pit Boss 250

NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) rookie Ty Gibbs is trying to be the best person he can be, and – on the track, at least – he’s been pretty close to perfect this season. The 19-year-old Charlotte, North Carolina native powered his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota to the pole during Pit Boss 250 qualifying at Circuit of The Americas (COTA) on FEVO Friday.

In five starts this season, Gibbs has already notched two wins. Friday, he added his first pole of the season with a blistering two-minute and 14.52-second lap in the same No. 54 Toyota Supra that Kyle Busch drove to victory in the inaugural Pit Boss 250 last year. Gibbs crossed the line a half-second faster than NASCAR Cup Series regular Ross Chastain, who will start on the front row in his TicketSmarter Chevrolet. A.J. Allmendinger, Josh Berry and Josh Bilicki round out the top five.

“I think we’re pretty close to what Kyle had last year,” Gibbs said after qualifying. “We just have to make some minor adjustments. The guys work so hard. I’ve got all the best guys. They work really hard, and we’ve got a good car.”

While Gibbs looks forward to challenging for his third win of the young season on Saturday, he said fans are in for a treat on and off the track at COTA.

“It’s cool to be here,” he said. “There’s roller coasters over there; People were ziplining up in turn one, which is pretty crazy too. There are just a lot of cool attractions. It’s one of those races that’s just fun. You’re not stressed out. You can take a look at the scenery and have a good time.”

CREED TAKES TOP SPOT IN XPEL 225 QUALIFYING

Despite eight Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) wins in 75 starts, Sheldon Creed, 24, has never started on the pole. That will all change on Saturday as the Alpine, Calif. native leads the field to green and around the 3.41-mile, 20-turn circuit in the XPEL 225.

“I’m really happy with how it’s driving,” Creed said of his No. 20 Wiley X Chevrolet. “We really haven’t changed a whole lot. I feel like – with the repave – there’s a lot more grip in some areas. I don’t feel like the tire fall off is as bad, at least for me. I feel like I got better after the second or third lap.”

Creed will start alongside Zane Smith on the front row when the NCWTS kicks off a Saturday doubleheader that also includes the NXS Pit Boss 250. Alex Bowman qualified third, Parker Kligerman fourth and Kyle Busch fifth.

Q&A

Joe Gibbs Racing driver Ty Gibbs was made available to media prior to the Circuit of the Americas race this Friday:

TY GIBBS, No. 54 Interstate Batteries Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Can you talk about the qualifying lap?

“First off, we have a very favorite Interstate Batteries Toyota GR Supra. I’m excited about that. Chris (Gayle), my crew chief and Kyle Abrahims, my engineer, have worked very hard this year to prepare for this race. Last year, they had a good run, so it’s cool to be here and come and race at COTA. It’s one of the nicest facilities. I wish all of our racetracks were like this. It’s so awesome. The experience is so cool. Being here is awesome and a pleasure.”

What do you like most about COTA?

“The media center is so much nicer and it’s super cool. It’s one of the newer track, so you know with all of the newer tracks are going to have the updated facilities. It’s just a cool experience. There are roller coasters over there. I’m scared of heights, so I’m not doing that. There are people zip lining into turn one which is pretty crazy too. There is just a lot of cool attraction here. It’s really cool to be able to race here and to come here – it’s one of those races that are just fun and you are not stressed out. You are focused on your car. You can kind of look at the scenery and have a good time. It’s just fun to be here.”

How are you so good at this track in your first time out here?

“First of all, I want to give all glory to God and second of all, I’ve got Toyota. They provide our simulators. I’ve got go-karts. I was at the go-kart track yesterday and I made 94 laps at Go Pro. I just enjoy racing and the road course stuff is nice I think because it’s easier to watch film on it because you can kind of compare and translate film to braking markers. It’s a little easier. Ovals are so much, I think, of a finesse. You don’t have as much braking markers there. You’re not as focused on that. Road courses are fun. They come in and do something different and focus on just turning right and left and I have a good time, a good flow with it. It’s just been patient and having the right arc going into the corner.”

Is ‘Let’s Go’ your official catch phrase?

“I don’t know. So, here’s the thing – it was the let’s freaking go. I’m going to get in trouble, and I don’t want to cuss, so I just did let’s go – LG and now I comment under people’s posts LG, but people are LFG, and I don’t want to do that. That was a funny question.”

So, it’s the clean version of that phrase?

“Yeah. My grandma is watching me, and she will get after me, so I don’t want to do anything wrong. I’m already on thin ice.”

Why are you on thin ice?

“I need to fix my act up a little bit I think and more personally. I’m on thin ice with myself because I get very frustrated sometimes – we all do – but there are sometimes where I just need to fix myself and check. Think before I talk, stuff like that. Little stuff I’m learning as a human as I get older with being frustrated.”

What is your biggest weakness?

“I think there is multiple weaknesses. Trying to perfect everything is always going to lead to weaknesses. Fixing my performance off track is going to be the biggest thing compared to on-track – just little things and who I’m being around and stuff like that. Just normal thing and trying to be the best person I can be is the biggest weaknesses right now. I’m just learning. On track, being patient as we saw. Patience is what I think is my biggest weakness, but I think it’s not a weakness because I’ve been patient. Just where I’m lacking is in that moment to be patient and not freak out for no reason.”

Did you take some notes on what Kyle Busch did from last year?

“For sure. I think we are pretty close to what Kyle (Busch) had. We just had to make some minor adjustments, just I think from my feel in the sim and stuff like that. The guys worked hard. The guys work so hard and me giving them credit and saying thank you is not enough. Thank you to them. There is no comparison there. Those guys worked their butts off. Chris (Gayle, crew chief) and Kyle (Abrahims, engineer) are the best guys and I’m super close to them. They work really hard, and we have a good car.”