Gibbs rises as title challenger: 'We're easily a championship contender'

NASCAR’s 2026 season momentum is building around Ty Gibbs as he positions himself as a credible championship contender, and his points pace is backed by recent performance. Entering Chicagoland Speedway fourth in the Cup Series standings after 18 of 26 regular-season races, Gibbs leads No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota through the stretch with the 10-race Chase scheduled for September. The 23-year-old has earned seven top-fives and 11 top-10s, with averages of 9.3 starts and 13.2 finishes, improvements from last year’s 17.9 average finish. Gibbs’ March Bristol win included leading his No. 54 car to his first career victory. After Sonoma, where he finished third despite leading 31 of 110 laps and sweeping both stages, he said strategy limited his win attempt. The Cup Series races at Chicagoland Sunday at 6 p.m. ET.