Ty Gibbs, the grandson of legendary Washington Redskins head coach and championship winning NASCAR team owner Joe Gibbs, has been making the adjustment from Go-Kart racing to Late Model Stock Car racing.
This past weekend, he competed in the Icebreaker at Myrtle Beach Speedway and turned heads with his third place, 20.716 second qualifying effort. Gibbs, racing for Greg Marlow in Late Models, ended up finishing in a respectable 14th place in his second appearance at Myrtle Beach Speedway.
“We have a great car thanks to Greg Marlowe and everybody on our team,” Gibbs said. “We ran fast in qualifying.”
After competing in Go-Karts and having success, the 14-year-old from Charlotte, North Carolina made the move to Late Models last fall and has continued the progression as a driver. However, the transition from Go-Karts to Late Models is not always an easy one.
“It’s the braking help and the temperature difference,” Gibbs remarked, when asked about the differences he’s picked up on. “It’s so hot compared to the go-kart in the Late Model. It’s so long and everything’s so different.”
Gibbs kept his nose clean in the Icebreaker and stayed out of trouble, coming home in 14th. Now, Gibbs is turning his attention to the rest of the season. He will compete in Late Models, predominantly at Hickory Motor Speedway, and also make some starts in the CARS Tour before moving up to ARCA racing.
“We’re going to run some ARCA next year,” Gibbs commented. “This year, we’re going to run the Late Model and maybe some CARS Tour races and a lot of races at Hickory.”
Last season, Gibbs ran in a couple of Limited Late Model races, including a Southeast Limited Late Model Series race at Myrtle Beach Speedway last November.
