No regrets for Ty Gibbs at Martinsville. (Photo: Kevin Ritchie | The Podium Finish)
MARTINSVILLE, Virginia – It would not be a NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Martinsville Speedway without a polarizing moment from Ty Gibbs.
Saturday’s Dead On Tools 250, the penultimate race of the 2022 season and cutoff for the Championship 4 battle at Phoenix Raceway, was more like a local short track race that left plentiful drivers fuming while the victor whistled away without regrets.
Ty Gibbs, the 20-year-old from Charlotte, North Carolina native, started from the fourth position and made it known he would be a factor at the 0.526-mile paperclip shaped track.
Placing second in Stage 1, Gibbs rocketed to the lead on Lap 88, the first of seven stints at the front of the field. By Stage 2, it was evident that he was the man to beat in his No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota Supra.
Much like Gibbs’ stock car career, Saturday’s race showcased his tremendous talent and ruthless ways to dominate events. However, it was his move on the final, Overtime restart that raised the eyebrows of several stock car observers.
On the final lap of the extended, 269-lap race, Gibbs, who clinched his Championship 4 spot by virtue of points, closed the gap quickly on Brandon Jones, the pole sitter and his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate.
As both drivers made their way toward Turn 1, Gibbs rooted Jones out of the way, with the former taking the lead while the latter spun and hit the wall.
When all was said and done, Gibbs won sixth race of the season ahead of Sheldon Creed, Riley Herbst, Noah Gragson and Justin Allgaier.
Gibbs was not contrite. Instead, he was focused on enjoying his Dominion State triumph, almost as if he was not aware of the ramifications of his move.
Gibbs won his sixth race of 2022. (Photo: Kevin Ritchie | The Podium Finish)
“I definitely didn’t want to wreck him,” Gibbs said while being showered by boos from the crowd. “But I wanted to get him out of the groove. I felt like we lost the spring race just the same way.
“I’m just pumped to get this win and it’s so awesome, especially at a track I feel like I’ve been coming to forever. I ran late models here and it’s super cool to win here.”
The move did not sit well with fans and Gibbs’ competitors including Jones, his teammate. While offering his thoughts to NBC NASCAR’s Parker Kligerman, Jones was greeted with cheers.
“I had the race won, I think. I love my guys, I love everyone on this No. 19 group,” Jones said. “But I’m excited to make my move to JRM next year and be a part of that organization and a little bit more respect over there probably given next year. I’m excited for that. We have one race left at Phoenix. I know we can go out there and win that and shake this up a little bit yet and try to steal a little thunder there.
“I have no words. We had some fun beating and bagning, back and forth a little bit. But I’ve never wrecked him or dumped him for the win. And that kind of shows where that level is there.”
After Gibbs and his No. 54 team celebrated their victory on the fronstretch, the Championship 4 racer offered some unique thoughts about his win while responding to the jeers.
“Jesus was hated first and among all the people. That’s a part of it,” Gibbs said to Claire B. Lang during her “Dialed In” show on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. “Silencing out the crowd, that’s what you have to do as a professional athlete.
“And I feel like some of the best people are going to get booed and that’s part of life. You can’t let other people’s opinions and thoughts drive your actions. If I did let it eat me up, then I would be weak on my part.”
Gibbs joins JR Motorsports’ Gragson, Allgaier and Josh Berry for next Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship race at Phoenix Raceway (6 p.m. ET on USA).
For now, it will require each driver to be strong for the next week with the quartet preparing for a duel in the desert with two young racers duking it out with two skillful veterans.
Stage 1 Top 10 Finishers
B. Jones-Gibbs-Allgaier-Berry-S. Smith/Herbst-Creed-Allmendinger-Mayer-Hill
Stage 2 Top 10 Finishers
Gibbs-Allgaier-Allmendinger-Gragson-Sanchez/Berry-Hill-J. Burton-Sieg-Alfredo
Dead On Tools 250 at Martinsville Top 10 Finishers
Gibbs-Creed-Herbst-Gragson-Allgaier/Mayer-Sanchez-Hemric-Hill-Perkins
