Ty Gibbs earns first NASCAR Cup victory at Bristol

The 23-year-old grandson of NASCAR Hall of Famer Joe Gibbs overcame two champions for his breakthrough win.

Apr. 13, 2026 at 12:54am

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A fractured, multi-perspective painting using sharp, overlapping geometric planes in vibrant stock car colors to conceptually represent Ty Gibbs' first NASCAR Cup Series victory at Bristol Motor Speedway.Ty Gibbs' first NASCAR Cup Series victory at Bristol Motor Speedway is captured in a cubist, geometric painting that deconstructs the race action.Bristol Today

Ty Gibbs, the 23-year-old grandson of NASCAR Hall of Fame team owner and former Super Bowl-winning coach Joe Gibbs, earned his first career NASCAR Cup Series victory on Sunday at Bristol Motor Speedway. Gibbs outdueled two Cup champions, Ryan Blaney and Kyle Larson, to claim the win in his 131st career Cup start.

Why it matters

Ty Gibbs' victory is a significant milestone in his young NASCAR career, coming just over a year after the tragic passing of his father, Coy Gibbs, who had helped guide Ty's rise through the racing ranks. The win also continues the Gibbs family's success in NASCAR, with Joe Gibbs' team now having another Cup Series champion in the making.

The details

Gibbs led the final 25 laps at Bristol, inheriting the lead under caution after a strategy gamble of staying on the track while Blaney and Larson pitted. Blaney and Larson restarted outside the top five, but Gibbs fended them off on a late-race restart to secure the victory. Blaney finished second, while Larson, the defending Cup champion, came home third.

  • Ty Gibbs earned his first career NASCAR Cup Series victory on Sunday, April 13, 2026 at Bristol Motor Speedway.
  • Gibbs' father, Coy Gibbs, passed away unexpectedly on November 6, 2022, the day after Ty won the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship.

The players

Ty Gibbs

The 23-year-old grandson of NASCAR Hall of Fame team owner and former Super Bowl-winning coach Joe Gibbs, who earned his first career NASCAR Cup Series victory at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Joe Gibbs

The NASCAR Hall of Fame team owner and former Super Bowl-winning coach, who is the grandfather of Ty Gibbs.

Coy Gibbs

Ty Gibbs' father, who passed away unexpectedly in November 2022, the day after Ty won the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship.

Ryan Blaney

The 2023 NASCAR Cup Series champion, who finished second to Ty Gibbs at Bristol.

Kyle Larson

The defending NASCAR Cup Series champion, who finished third at Bristol after leading a race-high 284 laps.

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What they’re saying

“This is the man right here. I've never seen somebody work so hard in my life, him and my mom. I come to the shop at 6 a.m. or 7 p.m., and there's nobody there, but they are always there. They work their (butts) off. He's a great role model. I wouldn't be here unless it was for him.”

— Ty Gibbs

“Honestly, I didn't really know or care if I was going to win or not. I thought the race was awesome. I really appreciate always racing Ryan Blaney and Kyle, too. Those guys always run me really well.”

— Ty Gibbs

“Yeah, great battle for sure. I fought a lot of different cars. Gave it my best shot on the last restart. Was close but just couldn't get it done.”

— Ryan Blaney

“Super happy for Ty. It's been a long time coming. To do it the way he did it, on old tires, to beat the two guys that dominated all day long, that was impressive. Just super happy for him and the whole family.”

— Chase Briscoe, Ty Gibbs' Joe Gibbs Racing teammate

What’s next

The NASCAR Cup Series will race next on April 19 at Kansas Speedway, the first of three consecutive tracks 1.5 miles and longer. Hendrick Motorsports has won three of the past four races at Kansas.

The takeaway

Ty Gibbs' emotional first Cup Series victory at Bristol, overcoming two champions, is a significant milestone in the young driver's career and continues the Gibbs family's success in NASCAR. The win comes just over a year after the tragic passing of Ty's father, Coy Gibbs, who had helped guide Ty's rise through the racing ranks.