Ty Gibbs earns first NASCAR Cup victory at Bristol, beating Kyle Larson and Ryan Blaney

The 23-year-old grandson of Hall of Fame team owner Joe Gibbs overcame two NASCAR Cup champions for his first career win.

Apr. 13, 2026 at 3:05am

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A fractured, geometric painting in bold colors depicting the intense final moments of a NASCAR race, with cars and drivers broken down into sharp, overlapping shapes and planes.A cubist interpretation of the thrilling final laps of Ty Gibbs' first NASCAR Cup Series victory at Bristol Motor Speedway.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 held off two former Cup champions, Kyle Larson and Ryan Blaney, in a thrilling finish that saw him lead the final 25 laps despite having tires that were nearly 100 laps older than his competitors.

Why it matters

Ty Gibbs' victory is a significant milestone in his young NASCAR career, as he finally broke through for his first Cup win after multiple near-misses in previous seasons. The win also continues the Gibbs family's success in NASCAR, as Ty follows in the footsteps of his late father Coy Gibbs, who helped run the family's team before his unexpected passing in 2022.

The details

Gibbs took the lead under caution late in the race and then held off Larson and Blaney, who both had fresher tires, in a two-lap overtime shootout to the checkered flag. Larson led a race-high 284 of 505 laps but finished third, while Blaney, the 2023 Cup champion, finished second after leading 190 laps.

  • Ty Gibbs earned his first career NASCAR Cup Series victory on Sunday, April 12, 2026 at Bristol Motor Speedway.
  • Gibbs' late father, Coy Gibbs, passed away unexpectedly on November 6, 2022, the day after his son won the championship in NASCAR's second-highest division.

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.

Kyle Larson

The defending NASCAR Cup Series champion, who led a race-high 284 of 505 laps but finished third at Bristol.

Ryan Blaney

The 2023 NASCAR Cup Series champion, who finished second at Bristol after leading 190 laps.

Coy Gibbs

Ty Gibbs' late father, who helped run the family's NASCAR team before passing away unexpectedly in 2022.

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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

“This is one of my best experiences. When I think about Coy, he brought Ty up the entire time. I know he's probably watching.”

— Joe Gibbs

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 with Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott winning last year.

The takeaway

Ty Gibbs' first career NASCAR Cup Series victory at Bristol Motor Speedway is a significant milestone for the 23-year-old and the Gibbs family racing dynasty. The emotional win, coming just years after the unexpected passing of Ty's father Coy, highlights the perseverance and hard work that has defined the Gibbs family's success in NASCAR.