Ty Gibbs will drive full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series for Joe Gibbs Racing

Ty Gibbs will make the jump to the NASCAR Cup Series full-time in 2023.

The 20-year-old driver, whose run to the Xfinity Series championship in the 2022 season was equal parts impressive and controversial, will drive the No. 54 Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing, the team announced Tuesday.

The move effectively fills the void left by Kyle Busch, who left JGR after 15 years and joined Richard Childress Racing at the end of the 2022 season. This is the first time since 1992 that JGR has not hosted the 18.

Gibbs has been the most likely candidate to replace Busch since announcing his move to RCR in September. The young driver is the grandson of JGR owner Joe Gibbs, and his talent is undeniable: He earned seven wins and 23 top-10 finishes en route to the Xfinity Series title earlier this month.

He also won the ARCA Menards Series championship in 2021.

Despite all his victories, Ty Gibbs is still a controversial figure in racing. His 2022 season was full of maneuvers that alienated him from the rest of the field (and subsequent excuses). The victory that sent the motorsports world into a frenzy was his win at Martinsville Speedway, when he seemingly wrecked his own teammate to clear the way for a win he didn't necessarily need. (After the win, he then compared himself to Jesus and told Sirius “I feel like just silencing the crowd is what you have to do as a professional athlete.”)

He spent most of his Frontstretch interview after winning the Xfinity Series championship apologizing for the chaos at Martinsville.

“What I did last week was unacceptable and I apologize again, but it was unacceptable because we could have had two chances to win this deal and it was stupid from an organizational perspective. All my fault,” Gibbs told NBC Sports after celebrating at the start-finish line at Phoenix Raceway. The boos were louder than the cheers at the time of the interview. “I can sit here and tell you I'm sorry as best I can, but it won't fix the problem. I need to correct my actions.”

Chris Gayle, who served as crew chief during his NASCAR Xfinity Championship season, will move up to the Cup Series with Gibbs.

Gibbs raced part-time at the Cup level in 2022, largely filling in for 23XI Racing's Kurt Busch, who spent most of the summer recovering from a brain injury and wanted to return before the playoffs. He achieved a top 10 placement in 15 races.

Due to a family emergency, he did not compete in the final Cup race of the season at Phoenix Raceway. His father, Coy Gibbs, died at the age of 49 the night before the championship race on Sunday, November 6th.