Nobody understands the weight of being NASCAR’s next big thing quite like Joe Gibbs’ grandson Ty Gibbs. At just 20 years old, the JGR driver stepped into the Cup Series spotlight full-time in 2023, fresh off his 2022 Xfinity Series championship, learning firsthand just how steep the climb to NASCAR’s top series can be.

Now, as another teenage prodigy begins his journey, Gibbs finds himself in a familiar position, hoping to pass on the baton and patience to 19-year-old Connor Zilisch, who has launched his full-time cup career with Trackhouse Racing.

Ty Gibbs kept his advice simple and clean, speaking up in a recent media scrum ahead of the Daytona 500.

“ I mean, I don’t know. You’re young; you gotta look at the bigger picture, right? I mean, I’m 23, and people in real life don’t have it figured out until their mid-30s, so just be young, look at the bigger picture, and take it all in,” he said.

That advice carries extra weight considering the ups and downs young drivers face in NASCAR’s top tier, and you know better than the 23-year-old.

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As he still chases his 1st cup victory, Gibbs has shown flashes of raw speed, contending for wins, earning multiple top-five finishes, and making playoff appearances, but consistency has remained elusive.

And while Gibbs’s performance improved in 2024, as he made the playoffs for the first time before being eliminated after the round of 16, his performance in 2025 dropped as he failed to qualify for the playoffs and did not match his rookie-season showing.

The 2025 season once again highlighted the brutal learning curve of racing for the youngster, who ended 19th in points with five top-five results.

For someone entering his third season of NASCAR and making more than 120 starts, a dip in competitiveness underscores how difficult it can be for even a well-backed young driver to make the jump to Cup racing at such a young age, where the competition and learning curve remain steep.

And while Gibbs’ advice proves to be crucial, Connor Zilisch seems to be on the rise, finding his footing in the Cup Series.

The 19-year-old provided a contrasting story in his 1st full-time cup outing at the NASCAR Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium last week, where the North Carolina native in the No. 88 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet showed strong pace and raced up front at times before ultimately finishing in 18th place.

He also gained valuable experience competing with seasoned drivers, highlighting his rapid development after a breakout Xfinity season.

While it was only an exhibition event, his performance signaled why many view him as one of the sport’s brightest young prospects and why advice about patience and perspective may ultimately matter most for both rising stars navigating NASCAR’s unforgiving top level.

And while the 19-year-old continues to find his footing, one NASCAR veteran hasn’t shied away from backing Ty Gibbs as the star of the 2026 season.

Kevin Harvick predicts Ty Gibbs as the 2026 breakout star

With a new NASCAR season on the horizon, 2014 series champion Kevin Harvick has already stirred the conversation with a confident prediction for 2026. On a recent episode of his podcast, Harvick pointed to Ty Gibbs as the young driver most poised for a breakout, putting the spotlight squarely on the JGR talent.

“I think for me, it’s Ty Gibbs,” he said. “Just because he’s been so fast and he’s got the speed in the race car to keep himself in contention, qualifies well, does a lot of things well, and it’s just about getting over that hump to get to victory lane. Yeah, I think that they have the capability and the stability within the team now. I think that they could have a breakout year if they can get to victory lane.”

Harvick’s belief isn’t unfolded. Gibbs, who pilots the No. 54 Toyota, has shown consistent raw speed since arriving in the Cup Series.

Gibbs finished the 2025 season with five top-five results, one of the clearest indicators of his competitiveness throughout the year despite not securing a win.

One of Gibbs’s standout performances came at Bristol Motor Speedway in the Food City 500, where he ran up front and ultimately finished third, his first top five of the season. He battled through the field and used strategic pit timing to move into the top positions as the race unfolded.

Last year, he led 304 laps, the most of any driver who failed to win a race, underscoring the very point Harvick made. The final step is converting the speed into a trip to Victory Lane.