Ty Gibbs won the Xfinity Series elimination race at Martinsville Speedway on October 29. He achieved this goal by punting teammate Brandon Jones into the wall and wrecking him on the final lap. This led to boos from the crowd and comments about a lack of class.
“Hope that race isn’t taken as an example by anyone coming up racing as how it’s supposed to be done,” Petty GMS driver Erik Jones tweeted after watching the race. Many others weighed in, including Noah Gragson, who said that Gibbs wrecking Jones was a “dirtbag move.”
Josh Berry made some comments of his own to NBC Sports. He talked about having an extra “JR Motorsports teammate” heading toward the championship race.
What are your thoughts on Ty GIbbs’ move on Brandon Jones?
Does he deserve the win? #NASCAR
“I didn’t want to wreck him, but I definitely wanted to get him out of the groove,” Gibbs said after climbing from the No. 54 Toyota GR Supra. He then said during his post-race press conference that he “hit him too hard” but that they “are racing for wins.”
“It’s one thing to get moved out of the way by a teammate, it’s a whole another thing to get wrecked by him,” analyst Jeff Burton said as the race ended under caution. Steve Letarte also chimed in and said that this will be hard to swallow for Jones.
Several Drivers Took Time to Meet With Jones
GettyBrandon Jones (right) received support from several drivers.
An interesting development took place after the race came to an end. The fans booed Gibbs, flipped him off, and chanted “Thank you, grandpa” as he celebrated in Victory Lane. Meanwhile, drivers from several teams went up to talk to Jones.
The crowd responds.
This list included Justin Allgaier, Noah Gragson, Tommy Joe Martins, Josh Berry, and many others. They all walked up to Jones and offered supportive comments. Allgaier, in particular, spent a considerable amount of time hugging his fellow driver while delivering a message that only Jones heard.
The drivers also showed their support during their post-race interviews. Gragson, in particular, noted that there would have been a different interaction with Gibbs if the No. 9 had been on the receiving end of the wreck.
“I’d be very, very mad right now if I was in the 19’s shoes,” Gragson told media members on pit road. “He wouldn’t be smiling, taking pictures next to a clock right now. You know, he’d be behind the stage with some extracurricular activities. But that’s not my battle.”
Jones Has 1 Race Remaining at Joe Gibbs Racing
I miss J.D
The race at Martinsville Speedway was one of Jones’ last at Joe Gibbs Racing. He signed a deal to join JR Motorsports. He will replace Noah Gragson in the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro, and he will become teammates with Josh Berry, Justin Allgaier, and Sam Mayer.
Jones was restrained during his post-race interview as he reflected on the final lap and his hard collision with the wall. He said that he had no words and that they had some fun battling. Though he did talk about the “level” of respect shown to him by Gibbs. Jones also expressed some excitement about getting over to a different organization.
“I had the race won, I think,” Jones said to NBC Sports. “I love my guys, I love everyone on this 19 group, 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,” Jones continued. “We’ve got one year — or one race — left [in] Phoenix. I know we can go out there, win that, and shake this up a little bit still yet. Try to steal a little thunder there.”
The final start with Joe Gibbs Racing will be at a track where Jones has previous success. He has 13 starts at Phoenix Raceway, including a runner-up early in 2022. Jones also took the No. 19 to Victory Lane in 2020 after leading 24 laps.
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Ty Gibbs Booed After ‘Dirtbag Move’ at Martinsville Speedway