Dale Earnhardt Jr. overlooks Kevin Harvick’s replacement, predicts 2024 will be the ‘break-out year’ for Ty Gibbs

Dale Jr. has high hopes for Ty Gibbs going into the 2024 season.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. overlooks Kevin Harvick’s replacement, predicts 2024 will be the ‘break-out year’ for Ty Gibbs

Kevin Harvick, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Ty Gibbs (Via IMAGO)

2022 NASCAR Xfinity champion Ty Gibbs made his full-time Cup debut in the 2023 season replacing Kyle Busch at Joe Gibbs Racing. He had an impressive season behind the wheels of the No:54 Toyota Camry and was able to finish the season as the rookie of the year. Noah Gregson’s Legacy MC exit made Gibbs the only rookie of 2023, but he would’ve won the award regardless.

NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. believes Gibbs will be the breakout star next season. He pointed out that though drivers like Josh Berry, John Hunter Nemechek, and Zane Smith can make a difference next season, Gibbs has the advantage of having a better car and now has enough top-flight experience to run consistently in the front row.  

YouTube video
I'm gonna say, I'm gonna say that next year is your breakout star, Ty Gibbs. I don't, I want to go with like Zane Smith or, you know, Josh Berry, John Hunter Nemechek. But I just don't know that their cars and I don't know. I think Ty Gibbs is in a Gibbs car there. Their stuff runs in the top five a lot. And I think he's just trying to get there.
Junior said via Dale Jr. Download.

From the 36 starts, he made this season in the Cup series Gibbs scored nine top-10 finishes, of which four were top-5s. he had a finish better than P20 in 21 races this year showing signs of consistency. One disappointing thing for the rookie is the fact that he was the only TRD driver not to make it to the playoffs and the only winless JGR driver. He did have a win this season, the Indy RC Xfinity race.

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. predicts tough days for Josh Berry

A driver that many in the NASCAR community expect to produce bright results in the 2024 season is rookie Josh Berry. The 33-year-old will take over the No:4 Stewart Haas Racing ride of Kevin Harvick, who retired this season after a championship-winning career that lasted two decades.

Josh Berry and Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Josh Berry and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Via IMAGO)

Dale Jr. who has fielded cars for Berry in the Cup series over the years and is the boss of JR Motorsports sees some tough times ahead for the driver. He sees him struggling in the top division just like every other rookie before him.

I'm a Josh Berry fan. Y'all know that I want that to go well. There will be some moments of struggle. There will be times when Josh Berry's going, ‘Man, do I have what it takes? Do I belong here? Do I have the fortitude to go forward?' There will be some dark, dark moments in that first year. There are for every driver.

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