Tensions inside Joe Gibbs Racing have spilled into public view after former competition director Chris Gabehart filed a declaration tied to the ongoing JGR lawsuit. In documents shared by journalist Matt Weaver, Gabehart accused the organization of having a “dysfunctional organizational structure” and claimed driver Ty Gibbs received “differential treatment” because he is the grandson of team owner Joe Gibbs. Now, the young NASCAR star is responding in his own way by keeping quiet and letting his performance speak.

Ty Gibbs responds to nepotism claims

“I still work as hard as anybody else, and no matter what anybody says and can say, but yeah, I won’t speak anything on it. I’ll let my performance on track handle it.”

That was Ty Gibbs’ measured response when asked about the accusations that surfaced in the ongoing Joe Gibbs Racing lawsuit involving former competition director Chris Gabehart. While the controversy has sparked debate across the NASCAR garage, Gibbs has chosen not to escalate the situation publicly.

Instead, the young driver appears determined to answer critics where it matters most – on the NASCAR track.

 

Now in his fourth full-time season in the NASCAR Cup Series, Gibbs has quietly put together a respectable start to the 2026 campaign. As of early March, he sits 17th in the standings and currently leads the four-driver Joe Gibbs Racing lineup in points. That group includes established stars Denny Hamlin, Christopher Bell, and Chase Briscoe. One of Gibbs’ standout performances so far came at the Circuit of the Americas, where he secured an impressive fourth-place finish.

Still, criticism surrounding Ty Gibbs has been a constant presence since his Cup Series debut. Because he is the grandson of team owner Joe Gibbs, detractors have frequently questioned whether his rise through the ranks came with advantages unavailable to other drivers.

Those claims have often intensified whenever Gibbs’ results fell short of the expectations typically placed on drivers competing for a powerhouse organization like JGR. Comparisons to teammates such as Hamlin and Bell (both consistent race winners and championship contenders) have only fueled the narrative that Gibbs operates under a different set of expectations.

Even former JGR driver Kyle Busch appeared to hint at similar frustrations following his departure from the team, a move many interpreted as linked to the organization’s long-term commitment to Gibbs. For now, however, Ty Gibbs seems content to stay out of the war of words and let the scoreboard do the talking.

Joe Gibbs Racing shrugs of early season struggles

While Ty Gibbs deals with the noise surrounding the lawsuit and nepotism accusations, Joe Gibbs Racing as a whole is facing a different concern. Its their slow start to the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season. Three races into the year, none of the team’s four drivers have cracked the top 15 in the points standings, raising questions about whether the powerhouse organization is already falling behind.

However, Christopher Bell’s crew chief, Adam Stevens, isn’t sounding the alarm just yet. Speaking during an interview with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Stevens explained that the team believes the pace of its cars has been solid, even if the results haven’t reflected that performance.

“If the performance is there, the results will come around,” Stevens said. “And like we talked about, the sample of tracks to start the season is a little quirky, and it’s prone to misfortune.”

For the 2026 season, JGR fields four drivers: Denny Hamlin in the No. 11, Christopher Bell in the No. 20, Chase Briscoe in the No. 19, and Ty Gibbs in the No. 54. At the moment, Gibbs actually leads the group in the standings at 17th, followed by Hamlin in 23rd, Bell in 24th, and Briscoe in 27th.

Despite those numbers, Stevens believes the team’s underlying performance hasn’t been as bad as the standings might suggest.

“We don’t feel like we’re suffering for performance at any of the three tracks we’ve really been to. We’re just suffering for results, and hopefully the law averages will kick in here eventually, and maybe we can have some cleaner weekends. We’re not hitting the panic button yet, but we’re certainly paying attention.”

For now, the organization appears to be taking a long-term view. With a full season ahead and several traditional tracks still to come, Joe Gibbs Racing is betting that consistency and a bit of racing luck will eventually turn their early struggles into stronger results.

The post Tight-Lipped Ty Gibbs Ready to Get Back at Chris Gabehart After Grave Nepotism Accusations in JGR Lawsuit appeared first on EssentiallySports.



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