{"id":1553805,"date":"2023-03-14T19:22:59","date_gmt":"2023-03-14T23:22:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/?p=1553805"},"modified":"2023-03-14T19:23:00","modified_gmt":"2023-03-14T23:23:00","slug":"cue-comparisons-between-sammy-smith-and-ty-gibbs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/news\/cue-comparisons-between-sammy-smith-and-ty-gibbs\/","title":{"rendered":"Cue the Comparisons Between Sammy Smith and Ty Gibbs"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Sammy Smith<\/a> is a quick learner in the NASCAR Xfinity Series<\/a>. In fact, he\u2019s found Victory Lane at a younger age than anyone except Joey Logano<\/a>, Chase Elliott<\/a>, and Ty Gibbs<\/a>. Not bad for an 18-year-old who\u2019s still in high school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSomeone told me that, and that's pretty cool to join those guys as the winners as 18-year-olds,\u201d Smith said Tuesday on Fox\u2019s NASCAR Race Hub<\/em>. \u201cHopefully we can keep it going and keep racking up more wins. It\u2019s definitely been a dream come true this year.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the rate he\u2019s going, Smith could arrive in the Cup Series almost as quickly as Gibbs. It\u2019s only fitting since the two Joe Gibbs Racing<\/a> competitors are on track to be compared to each other throughout their careers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sammy Smith broke through Sunday with a win at Phoenix Raceway<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Sammy
Joe Gibbs Racing driver Sammy Smith celebrates after winning the NASCAR Xfinity Series United Rentals 200 at Phoenix Raceway on March 11, 2023. | Meg Oliphant\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Sammy Smith was 14 when he scored his first two top-10 finishes in CARS Late Model Stock Tour races. That made for a transition into the CARS Pro Late Model Tour, where he scored his first win in 2021 at Jennerstown Speedway in Pennsylvania against a field including Josh Berry<\/a>, Corey Heim, and Garrett Smithley.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By then, however, Smith was also already winning races in the ARCA Menards Series in cars owned by Coy Gibbs, the son of JRG owner Joe Gibbs and father of driver Ty Gibbs. With Smith rolling toward his second straight ARCA Menards East championship last season, Toyota wanted to see what he could do in the Xfinity Series.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Smith made nine starts<\/a>, scoring three top-10 finishes. With Gibbs promoted to the NASCAR Cup Series and Brandon Jones signing with JR Motorsports, JGR moved Smith into a full-time Xfinity slot. It didn\u2019t take long for the move to pay off; Smith won at Phoenix Raceway in the fourth race of the season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ty Gibbs rose rapidly through the ranks<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Sammy Smith after his first Xfinity win: \u201cThe restarts were the most challenging I have ever had to deal with.\u201d pic.twitter.com\/RVqIDo4Zpu<\/a><\/p>— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) March 12, 2023<\/a><\/blockquote>