As NASCAR championship weekend arrives in Phoenix, there is controversy over the damage caused by Ty Gibbs during last weekend’s Xfinity Series semifinal at Martinsville.
In the third overtime, Gibbs put his own teammate, Brandon Jones, into the wall. This prompted a warning and ensured that Gibbs would win the race – although he had already secured his place in the final four.
The move caused a lot of uproar among fans and drivers, and it was a topic of discussion at NASCAR’s media day on Thursday, where drivers from all three series met with the media as they prepare to compete at Phoenix Raceway this weekend.
Noah Gragson, competing for JR Motorsports against Gibbs in the Xfinity Finale, expressed his displeasure with Gibbs.
“I don’t think anyone in the industry has a lot of respect for him,” Gragson said. “We are focused on winning a championship for our team and will do whatever it takes to beat someone like that.”
Gibbs, who drives for his grandfather’s team, Joe Gibbs Racing, received a lot of media attention during his availability. He apologized for his actions. He told reporters he spoke to Jones, the teammate he destroyed, and apologized to his entire team.
“I think it’s something that happened to me because I made that mistake and didn’t do the right things,” he said. “It’s really hard to do, but I have to admit that I made a mistake and I have to work as hard as I can to resolve these issues.”
Championship teammates
Three of the four drivers competing in the Xfinity Series championship drive for JR Motorsports. Justin Allgaier, Josh Berry and Gragson all realize they have a 75% chance of winning a championship as a team.
Despite being on the same team, all three are still looking to win a championship.
“It’s an interesting dynamic but it’s not unusual,” Berry said. “We’ve been racing all year. We’ve won almost half the races, it’s nothing extraordinary. With the performances we’ve had, we could have two, three, even four cars here.”
The Xfinity Series finale is the only championship race this year in which three drivers come from the same team. We’re in the middle of three NASCAR title races, which begin Saturday at 3 p.m. The Camping World Truck finals will take place on Friday at 7 p.m., while the Cup Series championship will take place on Sunday at 1 p.m.
Camping World Truck Series
In addition to being excited for a chance at a championship, Truck Series Final Four drivers are looking forward to their plans after championship weekend.
Some have extravagant plans: partying, fishing and spending time with family after their Friday night run.
Ben Rhodes is ready to look back on the celebration he had last year after winning the series championship.
“Now we have ‘Ben Rhodes Old Fashioned’ served at the barn. All I have to do is play,” he said. “150 laps to get to the barn and you’re going to see something epic.”
Other drivers have more modest post-race plans. Two-time finalist Zane Smith is heading to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, where he plans to pursue his passion for deep sea fishing. He plans to spend his offseason in the Florida Keys to continue fishing.
Chandler Smith said he would be traveling to Hawaii to spend time with his wife and newborn son.
