Ty Gibbs will carry the name of a young boy on his car this weekend at Bristol. Joe Gibbs Racing announced on Instagram that the No. 54 Toyota Camry XSE will honor 4-year-old Jace Kinley Thompson during the Bass Pro Shops Night Race, the cutoff event for the Round of 16 in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.The post came from Joe Gibbs Racing, in partnership with Gibbs’ team account jgr54team and the Warrior Jace Foundation. JGR is one of NASCAR’s top teams, and Gibbs is competing in the playoffs for the first time in his Cup career.The Instagram caption narrated Jace’s story. He is described as a joyful child who loved pancakes, the woods, the beach, and anything with wheels. At four years old he was diagnosed with Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma, or DIPG, a rare brain cancer that has no cure. Jace fought the disease with a smile and inspired those around him.He passed away at the age of five, but his family created the Warrior Jace Thompson Foundation to raise awareness and fund research into DIPG, which receives very little government support. JGR wrote in the caption,"As Jace’s name rides along at Bristol this Saturday, we remember his courage, his light, and his legacy — and we race for a future where no child has to face DIPG." View this post on Instagram Instagram PostThis weekend's Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol is the last in the Round of 16. Four drivers will be eliminated from the playoffs at the end of Saturday night.NASCAR confirmed that all 36 chartered teams will compete, along with three open entries, making a 39-car field. Ty Gibbs will line up alongside his Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Denny Hamlin, Chase Briscoe, and Christopher Bell, with each of them trying to advance.Joe Gibbs on Ty Gibbs after DarlingtonAt Darlington Raceway on August 31, 2025, Ty Gibbs finished 22nd in the Cook Out Southern 500. Team owner Joe Gibbs spoke about the result in an interview with ASAP Sports after the race.The weekend had started strong for the team overall. Denny Hamlin won the pole position, Chase Briscoe started second, and Christopher Bell lined up seventh.Ty Gibbs began in 16th, more than four-tenths of a second behind Hamlin’s qualifying pace. In stage one, Gibbs moved forward and finished 12th, but stage two cost him track position as he slipped back to 19th. By the end of 367 laps, he crossed the line in 22nd.Joe Gibbs said the team was focused on giving each driver the tools to advance in the playoffs, while also helping the No. 54 group make progress. Gibbs told ASAP Sports, “You really look at it; all four of our cars are different stories. You go into the Playoffs with three of ‘em being in, which is awesome. Obviously, a huge focus is on that, getting a chance for them to advance,”He added that for Ty Gibbs, the target remains getting that first Cup Series win, which would be a major step forward. The Southern 500 still gave the team big results. Chase Briscoe won the race, becoming the first driver since Greg Biffle to win back-to-back at Darlington.