OPINION: Can We Just Let Drivers Be Who They Are When They Win?

I have to speak out. This kind of topic, is exactly what I created this Substack for and fits perfectly into “The Beat,” about the realities of covering athletes in a sport.

The discussion of Ty Gibbs press conference length after winning at Iowa started with a post from Cole Cusumano who writes for the Arizona Republic and SpeedFreaks.

Folks like Zach jumped in on X to defend Ty and even give Cole a hard time.

In reality, Cole Cusumano is not a dork. I know him and he is a sharp, young reporter. I disagree with being critical of Ty for short answers but I understand that Cole had good intentions - he thinks highly of Ty’s talent and, in his mind, he thought he was helping Ty with his critique.

It was easy to see from some of the replies that Ty has a growing fan base now that supports him. There’s something for everyone among the flavors of the drivers. Let them be them, especially when they are young.

Crash Gladys from SpeedFreaks posted this on X:

I like Gladys a lot but, of course, Ty has had media training and asking Ty to “color up” his answers somehow doesn’t seem right or effective to me. Just my opinion.

Cole jumped back into it on X saying he wanted to add that, “Ty is an incredible talent! but when this is what media gets every scrum/opportunity, it makes it nearly impossible to market HIM and NASCAR.”

I called Cole and spoke with him on the phone about his column. He knows he “ruffled some feathers” but (as he said in his SF post)…”I at least hope this enlightened people that the media is just trying to sell both the driver and NASCAR.” I get what Cole is saying - but, I am not trying to “sell the driver and NASCAR” as a journalist. I think Cole meant he wanted more to tell his story.

Some folks have been extra critical of Ty Gibbs. I’ve said that before. He has started to build a solid fan base and is now second in points. He wins his second race of the season, making no mistakes after fending off veteran Christopher Bell and the field and he is criticized because his post race media news conference answers are too short?

I know we all love juicy, heartfelt, story-filled, funny answers to our prized questions so we can post them but each driver is different and we should let them be who they are. Whether it is Chase Elliott (some say not enough) or Carson Hocevar (some say too much) or Denny Hamlin (some say too opinionated) each driver handles things differently and we should let them.

You’re just not going to get long-winded answers at this stage from Ty Gibbs. If you knew his father Coy Gibbs, he was a man of few words as well.

Ty is personable and can be charming and I suppose it’s why people expect that he’d be entertaining with long, equally charming and fun-filled answers to post win questions.

Let me lay out an example of one of Ty’s “short” answers post Cup win at Iowa in the Deadline Room.

Gibbs wasn’t being smart or short. If you were able to keep your composure because of your spotter and your team and you truly believe that your faith in Christ is what helped keep you stay composed ... WHAT ELSE IS THERE TO SAY?

Up close - Ty has a sense of humor and isn’t hard to talk to. True, his news conference was 7:52 in length (including opening by facilitator) while some post-win news conferences go on way over twenty minutes.

There are drivers, Brad Keselowski, for example who can be very entertaining and amazing in interviews but who also know how to turn off the answers when they want to get out of there. When he’s ready to leave, Keselowski will shorten the answers until you give up - or come up with something he really wants to talk about. I love interviewing Brad, and need to be on my toes to do so, but I like that.

I don’t think that is what Ty is doing here. It was a post-race news conference and he just won. I am just mentioning that you have to know the drivers and their trends and asking questions is like fishing. Sometimes you haul in the big one and sometimes you don’t get a bite.

Ty was fun in the post win presser on an answer and Here (below) is an exchange, question and answer from Ty in the Deadline Room post Iowa win with NASCAR.com :

I know some find it a challenge to get Ty to open up in the scrums. I think we’ve seen a big change in that since he first started. I pulled a random Ty Gibbs clip where I asked about the value of his car chief Robert “Cheddar” Smith. I thought he answered my question and have not really ever had an issue getting a good answer from Ty.

This is just a guess from observing having chatted with Ty a lot. I think Ty hates to appear to brag or sound like he is bragging - so he keeps his answers short. Remember folks initially criticized him because his family owns the race team so he is aware that folks could interpret bragging answers as entitled.

If you say, “Woahh, Ty you were flawless in your racing at Iowa at the end with Christopher Bell and made no mistakes - pretty impressive,” he will give a short answer that quickly and in very few words deflects the compliment. Just my take.

True, Ty will sometimes talk longer when it’s not about racing.

I asked him about his dog one time and his hobbies, for example, and he went on a long time about his interest in collecting art and his love for animals.

When it comes to a race win, when you’d expect long-winded, emotion-filled answer about the race - he will give you the answer but sometimes it will be concise.

I know that when you get time with a driver - say LIVE on air and you have 15 minutes and he gives short answers and you can’t get to the 15 minutes of allocated time it can be frustrating. It’s why I have always liked interviewing Ty though - it is a test of skills that took a lifetime to learn and I like it. Ty, meanwhile, is learning along the way as he grows up within the sport.

Some may say well you are saying this so you can get an interview with Ty. Not true - it doesn’t work that way. Just so you know.

Now, though, Ty is starting to win. It’s the next stage in his development into a veteran. He will be required to come in more and dish the goods on the win and how he did it more often even when he’s exhausted. Also, there are so many interviews after the race for the winner now, and it’s a growing list of required interviews - so the driver gets the same question over, and over and over before he even gets into the Deadline Room - and it’s something to get used to.

As to the scrums:

I recall Tony Stewart, for example, giving short answers or literally walking away from the media scrum when there was a question he didn’t like. He’d just turn around and walk away and the session was over - even if there had only been one or two questions asked and more waiting. You liked him when he was doing that.

As far as Ty Gibbs goes -yes, he nicely answered all questions. Yes, some may have wanted more and we should let drivers be who they are, while expecting them to do their part, of course.

Yes, there is so much more to know about Ty Gibbs and his thoughts and that’s what, to me, makes him so interesting to cover and probably frustrating to some who maybe don’t know him as well.

Ty Gibbs will win a lot and this is just the start of his Cup post-race win media session journey.

I’m not being smart at all - I just haven’t had an issue interviewing Ty and while I was not there to ask a question when he was in Deadline Room at Iowa I am sure if I was he would have fully answered my question.

Listen, I am a story teller. I always want more so I don’t deny that. All media love the “money quote” and long, funny stories that resonate from the heart and I think we’ll get that more and more as we roll along.

Let’s just let Ty be Ty.

I’m not saying I am right - I am just shedding my very humble perspective and maybe another side to the talked about story of the week - in The Beat!