In the last seven days since he intentionally wrecked his teammate, Brandon Jones, to win last Saturday’s race at Martinsville Speedway, 20-year-old Ty Gibbs has been called a lot of things.
After winning Saturday night’s NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship race at Phoenix Raceway, Gibbs can now be called another name.
NASCAR Xfinity Series Champion.
Noah Gragson promised that if he got close enough to the much-maligned 20-year-old Gibbs, he wouldn’t think twice about turning the grandson of team owner Joe Gibbs to win the championship. Gragson did not like Gibbs intentionally wrecking his JGR teammate, Jones, last Saturday at Martinsville Speedway.
Gragson was running in second place and appeared to close with five laps to go, but still had a half-second gap to get to Gibbs’ race-leading Toyota. Somehow, Gibbs was able to maintain the half-second advantage.
On the white flag lap, Gragson was within 0.3 seconds as Gibbs’ Toyota approached lapped traffic. Gibbs crossed the finish line to win the race and the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship.
“Remember, humble, humble man,” Gibbs heard from his crew chief, Chris Gayle, over the radio.
“How does it feel to be the champion?” NASCAR Xfinity Series Director Wayne Auton radioed to the race winner.
Gragson got out of his car and slammed his helmet on the hood, obviously bitter over losing the race and the championship to Gibbs. Many fans booed the champion after he had become a lightning rod of controversy, especially since last Saturday. But somehow the 20-year-old grandson of team owner Joe Gibbs was able to rise to the moment, drive a clean race and win a title.
When he got out of his car, boos ripped through the air, but the effort in which Gibbs drove should have been applauded for overcoming his self-inflicted adversity.
“My pit crew did an awesome job, they put us here,” Gibbs said. “What I did last week was unacceptable. It was stupid for the organization, and it was all my fault. I can’t fix it, but I can fix my actions. I deserve the boos and put myself in this position. But thank you to the fans. I will try to get their respect back.
“I thought we had a great race with Noah Gragson and did an awesome job. We’re champions. We’re champions.”
Gragson spoke with team owner Dale Earnhardt, Jr., and sponsor Johnny Morris of Bass Pro Shops on pit road after the disappointing result.
“It was execution on pit stops, but I still had a really good car, started eighth and got up to second, but I’m still super proud of this team,” Gragson said. “Just didn’t have enough for them at the end. It wasn’t for lack of trying. It definitely sucks to lose to someone lack that. Came up one spot short.”
Gragson moves up to the NASCAR Cup Series next season with Petty GMS Racing after spending four seasons in the Xfinity Series.
“It’s really disappointing we got beat,” Earnhardt said after he had three drivers in the Championship Four. “We raced them hard, and they raced us hard, and it was a battle. I’m blessed we are competitive but will have to come back and be better.”
Justin Allgaier was third followed by Landon Cassill and AJ Allmendinger.
After Gibbs swept the first two stages, the green flag waved to set up the final stage of racing with 102 laps to go and Allgaier as the leader in a side-by-side battle with Gibbs. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver took the lead one lap later and as he did in the first two stages, was able to pull away in cleaner air.
But a huge multi-car crash involving Sammy Smith, who led earlier in the race, and many others occurred just before the flagstand with 98 laps to go. Gibbs chose the outside lane on the restart with 92 laps to go and Allgaier to the inside.
Gibbs took the lead one lap later as Gragson and Allgaier fought for second place.
Two laps later, Joey Gase and Smith crashed in Turn 2 for another caution period to slow the race.
With 85 laps to go, Gragson and Gibbs were side-by-side, but Gibbs continued to have a slight edge before Gragson cleared Gibbs in the apron. The two rivals raced each other hard, but cleanly. Allgaier was third and Berry made his way up to fourth to give the four championship contenders the top four positions.
With 75 laps to go, Gibbs was shuffled back to third place with Gragson leading Allgaier.
With 54 laps to go, Allgaier took the lead when Gibbs went high into the turn and his car bobbling for a brief moment. But Gibbs fought his way back to race side-by-side with Allgaier with 48 laps to go. Allgaier was able to use the outside line to his advantage. That fierce battle ended when Dillon Bassett’s engine blew up and the yellow light came on.
There was stress among the four championship contenders up and down pit road, including team owner Dale Earnhardt, Jr., who had three of the four cars in contention for the 2022 title. The other team owner was Joe Gibbs.
When pit road opened, it was nose-to-tail among the top four as each driver headed to their pit area. Berry was out in 14.7, Allgaier in 14.2, Gragson in 18.8, losing five spots on pit road to drop to ninth. Gibbs was in and out in 13.7. Gibbs was first off pit road, Allgaier was second and Berry was up to third, his highest position of the race.
With 36 laps to go, a wild restart with cars scattered all over the apron had Allgaier in the lead on the high line before Gibbs blew past him. Sheldon Creed rocketed up to challenge for second before Brandon Jones Toyota spun around after contact with Gragson’s Chevrolet in Turn 2.
“Oh man, I didn’t mean that,” Gragson radioed to his crew. “I was just trying to keep it down.”
Gragson had come to Jones’ defense all week leading into the race after Jones’ teammate, Gibbs, crashed him out in the final lap in last Saturday’s race at Martinsville Speedway. Gragson was eighth with Allgaier second and Gibbs leading when the race restarted with 30 laps to go. Allgaier maintained the edge. Further back, Berry tapped the wall. Dropped back in the field.
Gragson raced his way back to third in one lap behind Gibbs and Allgaier.
With 25 to go, Allgaier was two cars ahead of Gibbs. One lap later, Gibbs dove underneath Allgaier, but couldn’t pull ahead.
Gibbs switched lines and was able to do a crossover as Gragson joined the battle at the front. With 20 laps to go, Gibbs got a big run and passed Allgaier for the lead. Gragson drove past Allgaier to set up a 1-2 battle between bitter rivals with 15 laps to go.
STAGE ONE
Because of the Championship Four format, there were no stage points for the championship contenders, just letting them race for it on the track by finishing in front of the other three championship contenders.
Gibbs was able to take the lead from the start as drivers behind him fanned out by using the flat apron as a short cut — a controversial move at Phoenix since the track was reconfigured in the past. Second-place Gragson lurked in the background.
On Lap 32, Brandon Brown crashed hard into the Turn 2 wall with right-side damage to his Ford after having a flat tire. That was the first caution of the race with Gibbs leading Gragson. Allgaier was third after starting 11th and Berry was fifth.
Allgaier complained that he lost his digital dash readings, but the all-important tachometer was still working. The gauges that weren’t operable included water temperature and oil pressure, among others. The green flag waved on Lap 38 with eight laps to go with Gragson beside Gibbs on the restart. Gibbs used the shortcut across the apron to maintain his lead over Gragson and Allgaier.
Gibbs was able to easily win the first stage by one second over Gragson. Allgaier was third and Berry fourth.
STAGE TWO
When the pits were open at the end of stage one, Gibbs was first in and first out, but JGR teammate Jones had improved five positions to come out second. Gibbs had the No. 1 position on pit road, which was a great benefit.
Gragson was fifth and Allgaier sixth. Berry had a 19-second pit stop and was out of the top 10 when he rejoined the field.
There were mistakes on all three of the JR Motorsports cars during pit stops, which gave Gibbs a decided advantage.
Smith was the leader when the race restarted on Lap 54. as the first four cars did not pit. Gibbs was fifth but went down on the apron to pass his way to second place and get behind Smith’s leading car. Gibbs passed Smith for the lead one lap later and began to speed away from the field.
JJ Yeley spun out for the third caution on Lap 61 with Gibbs in front of Smith.
The restart was on Lap 66 and Smith was able to take the lead away from Gibbs by driving on the outside line. But one lap later, Gibbs got his car underneath Smith to start a side-by-side battle that lasted for several laps. Gragson caught up and made it three-wide to take the lead over Smith and Gibbs. But Smith once again utilized the high line while Gragson kept using the shortcut.
Gibbs was able to use the crossover move to take the position from Gragson in a very heated battle.
Gragson was eventually able to take control and was the lead car in a top three that featured championship contenders Gibbs and Allgaier. Berry had made his way up to ninth place with 12 to go in stage two. Gibbs regained the position and went on to win stage two — the first time Gibbs had swept both stages in a race. Allgaier was second followed by Gragson, Sammy Smith and Landon Cassill.
During the pit stop under yellow, Berry, Allgaier and Gragson all had chassis adjustments.
Allgaier was able to beat Gibbs off pit road with Jones third, Gragson fourth and Smith fifth.
That set up the final stage that would ultimately determine the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship.