By: Cathy Brown
Twitter: @TheCathyBrown@PitOutsideBox
Facebook: Pitting Outside the Box
Website: Pitting Outside the Box
MARTINSVILLE, Va. – The NASCAR XFINITY Series has two JR Motorsports drivers in Josh Berry and Noah Gragson on their way to contend for a 2022 NASCAR XFINITY Championship next weekend at Phoenix Raceway.
The question is, who will be the final two to join them? Today in the Dead on Tools 250 at Martinsville Speedway the final pieces of the puzzle have fallen into place.
Ty Gibbs and AJ Allmendinger were hanging on by virtue of points, but drivers Justin Allgaier, Sam Mayer, Austin Hill, and today’s race pole sitter Brandon Jones still had hopes one of them could win their way in.
Jones would easily cruise to winning thew first segment, but it was Gragson who stayed out after pitting earlier that would lead the field to green for the second stage.
Gibbs would take the lead on lap 89 and trade it with Allgaier, at the end of Stage No. 2 it was Gibbs crossing the stripe first.
Berry would be out front for the start of the final stage, until Jones took it from him with 81 laps to go.
Gibbs took the top spot with 73 laps to go and that’s when a string of cautions would mire the race.
Allmendinger and Allgaier would trade bumping into each other until Allgaier won the battle and with 15 laps to go Allmendinger would bring out the caution.
With 9 laps to go Jones would be back in front and looking like he was going to race his way into the Championship 4. His teammate Gibbs had other plans, after the race went into NASCAR Overtime for the third time, Gibbs punted his teammate out of the lead and went on to take the win.
The fans and social media were on fire, with everyone chastising Gibbs for what he did.
In a post-race interview Jones would say “First off I want to say a big thanks to Tuscany faucets and Menards — they’ve stuck with me for a very long time in my career and I had the race won I think, you know, I don’t know I love my guys I love everyone on this 19 team, but I’m excited to make my move JRM next year and be a part of that organization and a little bit more respect over there probably next year so I’m excited for that. We’ve got one race left at Phoenix. I know we can go out there and win that and shake this up a little bit still and try to steal a little thunder there. So, I don’t know man, I have no words. You know, I know that we had some fun beating and banging back and forth a little bit but I’ve never, you know, wrecked him or anything for a win. And so, it just kind of shows where that level was there. I don’t know about dumped and destroyed and finish dead last, I mean I guess at the end the day I needed to win the race you know so I think for you know, second to last. It is what it is you know, but just expected to maybe have a little bit more of a shot at it there. You know, I think that to me, that’s what’s fun in this sport is having a duel and not just completely destroying somebody’s day.”
When Jones was asked about getting even with Gibbs “I don’t know man, you know I think that he’s made plenty of friends out here on the racetrack so time will tell. I know he’s going different places and I’m going different places so I’m sure eventually it all will line back up there.”
After the Victory Lane celebration it was Gibbs’ turn to talk about the last lap incident with his teammate.
“I went to go give the 19 a push, to get him back out of the groove, as they did the same to us and I hit him too hard – and that’s my fault but I’m racing for wins here” – said Gibbs.
In a SIRIUS XM NASCAR post-race interview Gibbs would go on to say about the fans booing him “Jesus was hated first and among all the people.”
Which I could retort that statement simply is not true, not everyone who encountered Jesus hated him from the get-go, but that’s a whole other conversation.
One thing is clear, what Gibbs did was wrong and I will point this out.
If Brandon Jones takes matters into his own hands next weekend at Phoenix Raceway as long as there’s no team directive and nothing is said over the radio from anyone, he does it all on his own – NASCAR technically can’t go after him.
That’s why Chase Elliott was not penalized/fined but Cole Custer was, right?
The Championship four in the NXS are: Josh Berry, Noah Gragson, Ty Gibbs and Justin Allgaier.
Pitting Outside the Box 