Veteran spotter Tony Hirschman finally detailed his decision to remain with Joe Gibbs Racing following Kyle Busch's 2023 departure. Hirschman cited deep organizational loyalty and the potential of Ty Gibbs as primary factors for staying.

Busch and Hirschman had been partners for over a decade, winning championships for JGR and thereby becoming one of the most talked-about driver-spotter pairings. Busch left JGR after he lost major sponsorship agreements, and JGR also went wayward, placing all bets on Ty Gibbs.

Now Hirschman finally came out and revealed how painful the choice was. “It was really difficult,” Hirschman admitted. “Kyle and his family were like family to me, but also JGR. They treated me well for that whole time along the way. So I sort of had like two families that I didn’t really wanna choose.”

The veteran spotter also attributed his decision to stay to how the organization had treated him during his 15 years there.

“JGR as a whole has treated me beyond excellent for all the years that I’ve been there,” Hirschman explained. “I knew how my travel worked being up in Pennsylvania. I knew how the inner work is at JGR worked and how the processes worked.”

The rise of Ty Gibbs was also an essential call for him to stay at JGR. “Having the opportunity to work with Ty, I think the world of Ty,” Hirschman said. “He’s really showing everybody what he’s capable of and the consistency and how far he’s progressing. We’re just all pulling the rope in the same direction.”

Hirschman’s bet on Ty Gibbs seems to be paying off as the driver seems to be gaining an upward trajectory, impressing many. Let’s take a look at how he’s doing on the tarmac.

Ty Gibbs’ rapid evolution into JGR’s future star

Ty Gibbs’ last two NASCAR seasons have showcased how good a driver he is. His performance, however, still isn’t exactly consistent. After winning the 2023 Rookie of the Year, Gibbs elevated himself in 2024 by making the playoffs, finishing 15th in points, scoring eight top-fives, 12 top-10s, two poles, and leading over 400 laps.

Not just that, another impressive stat was the young driver’s average start, which rose to an elite 11.4.

His 2025 season, however, was slightly tougher. Gibbs still produced five top-fives, 10 top-10s, and 304 laps led despite missing the playoffs. But this, too, needs to be understood in context, for this young prodigy led more laps than any other winless driver within the Cup Series that year.

Now let’s take a look at 2026, where Gibbs got his first-ever Cup Series win at Bristol in his 131st start. The season is still quite early, but it clearly shows that he is a top-five contender, as he stands at 4th place right now.

On the question of consistency, some of his lap times seem to be settling, making Gibbs a reliable placement driver for JGR and also showcasing why Hirschman placed all bets on him.

You can read more on the Daytona Racing Digest!

Written by

Uday Jakhar

Edited by

Suyashdeep Sason