Following the Toyota Save/Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway, NASCAR insiders Todd Gordon and Kyle Petty supported officials’ ruling that Ty Gibbs committed no infraction during a pit road incident involving Brad Keselowski’s tire carrier. The situation unfolded on Lap 52 when Gibbs, entering his pit stall, brushed a tire held by Keselowski’s crew member while passing through Keselowski’s pit box.
The contact occurred as Gibbs maneuvered to position his car closely to his fueler, nearly striking the tire carrier preparing to service Keselowski’s car. Afterward, tensions between the crews led to a scuffle, which NASCAR quickly quelled. Despite Keselowski’s team presenting overhead video evidence in their favor, NASCAR maintained there was no penalty warranted, a call both Gordon and Petty endorsed.
Detailed Analysis of Pit Road Dynamics by Todd Gordon
Todd Gordon provided an in-depth explanation of the incident, highlighting the challenges drivers and crews face with the tight layout of pit boxes at Sonoma. He pointed out that two cars approaching green flag pit stops in some of the shortest boxes require pit crew members to navigate a cramped environment.
According to Gordon, the tire carrier involved was holding two tires and standing somewhat sideways, which extended his reach into neighboring pit space. This positioning led to contact when Gibbs passed through. Gordon remarked,
“I see two cars coming to green flag pit in some of the shortest boxes we’ve got on pit road,”
emphasizing the unavoidable congestion during pit sequences.
He added that the tire carrier’s stance caused his tires to be exposed beyond the normal boundaries, causing the minor collision with Gibbs:
“Ty comes through, makes a little contact with the outboard tire. It kind of spins the tire carrier’s wrist around and puts him a little behind.”
Gordon suggested the tire carrier could have minimized the conflict by positioning himself more narrowly, noting,
“I think the tire carrier actually could stand to not be so wide, understanding that he’s got the car that’s in the box in front of him coming in right in front of his car.”
Gordon also clarified the rules and spatial constraints for tire carriers in pit boxes, pointing out the carrier’s requirement to stay close to the wall while holding two tires. He described the scenario as,
“But he was standing looking down pit road and he’s two tires wide, which is half a pit box. And Ty Gibbs is trying to get in and get close to his fueler. The boxes are short, so you’ve got to kind of use up the box behind you to get yourself pointed in the right direction.”
Kyle Petty Affirms the Explanation and Adds His Viewpoint
Kyle Petty praised Gordon’s breakdown, calling it accurate, before contributing his perspective based on his extensive pit road experience. Petty noted the inherent difficulties in navigating brief pit boxes when cars arrive closely behind one another.
He explained,
“When you have this short a pit box, when you have two guys coming in at the same time, coming in nose to tail, pit boxes the way they were, I think this is almost a non-story.”
Petty stated that contact and adjustment are frequent occurrences on pit road, attributing the incident mainly to timing rather than driver error.
Petty observed that Gibbs had to enter his stall perfectly straight to make a successful pit stop, adding,
“When you’ve got a short pit box, the only way to get in your pit box straight and close for fueling and give the tire guys room is to come in the back door, to come in that back line completely straight.”
He affirmed that Gibbs executed this appropriately by entering through Keselowski’s box and into his own in a straight line.
Petty also empathized with the tire carrier’s frustration but placed some responsibility on the crew member for positioning his tires in a way that could obstruct the racing line:
“No, I don’t have an issue with what Ty did. Now, I don’t really have an issue with what the tire carrier did either because he’s a little upset. He should have maybe kept his tire out of the way.”
Drawing on his own background as a former tire carrier on his father Richard Petty’s team, Petty recalled advice from their crew chief Dale Inman, stating,
“I got hit multiple times in my career as a tire carrier…And finally, (Richard Petty’s crew chief Dale) Inman told me, ‘Hey, that driver’s focused on his box. He’s focused on that sign. You stay out of his way.’ And that’s what it kind of boils down to sometimes. It was my job to stay out of that guy’s way.”
Post-Incident Confrontation Deemed Insignificant by Petty
Although the incident sparked a brief altercation between members of both teams after pit stops, Kyle Petty described it as minor and not impactful to the race outcome. Both teams completed effective pit stops without any loss of position or race time due to the incident.
Petty stated,
“They still had a great pit stop,”
emphasizing that neither side’s performance was affected. Regarding the altercation, he commented,
“It was just everything that we wanted to talk about was what the guys were doing, pushing and shoving on pit road. And to me, that’s a non-story, too.”
This assessment underlines the view that such incidents are part of the intense, high-pressure environment of NASCAR pit road, where close quarters and tight timing often lead to minor on-track conflicts without significant penalties.
Implications and Future NASCAR Oversight
While NASCAR chose not to penalize Ty Gibbs or the involved crew members immediately, officials left open the possibility of revisiting the incident by Tuesday after reviewing video footage in further detail. The analyzed responses from respected NASCAR voices like Gordon and Petty provide context that this specific incident falls within typical pit road challenges and driver responsibilities.
Given the cramped pit stalls at tracks like Sonoma Raceway and the split-second decisions drivers and crews must make, similar incidents may inevitably recur. The balanced handling of this event reflects NASCAR’s recognition of these realities. Moving forward, teams and officials will likely continue monitoring pit road interactions closely, aiming to maintain safety without disrupting competition flow unnecessarily.
Our Reader’s Queries
Q. Why does Ty Gibbs drive the 54?
A. In 2022, Gibbs competed full-time in the Xfinity Series, driving the No. 54 Toyota for his grandfather, Joe Gibbs, who owns the team. He impressed many by winning seven races and making it to the playoffs. Gibbs also had the opportunity to race in the Cup Series at Pocono Raceway.
Q. Is Ty Gibbs any good?
A. As reported by Racing Insights, Gibbs is among the top ten for passing, defense, and restarts on road tracks this season. He also holds the fourth spot for average running position, with a score of 10.92.
Q. Has Ty Gibbs ever won?
A. Ty Gibbs, the grandson of team owner Joe Gibbs, made a big impact in NASCAR in 2021. He won his first Xfinity Series race at the Daytona Road Course. In 2022, Gibbs raced full time in the Xfinity Series and took home the championship title in his debut season.
Q. How good is Ty Gibbs?
A. Ty Gibbs holds the best average finishing spot (6.0) among drivers who raced both NASCAR Cup Series events on the Chicago Street Course. In 2023, he began in 12th place and ended in ninth. The previous year, he started from second and led 17 laps, finishing third.