Gibbs’s stock continues to rise
Eighteen-year-old Ty Gibbs continued to impress as he fought off road racing ace AJ Allmendinger to win last
Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity
Series race at Watkins Glen.
Allmendinger had powered past Gibbs’s Toyota Supra into the lead on a restart with just four of the 82 laps remaining, but Gibbs refused to yield. With two tours to run, the grandson of NASCAR Hall of Famer and team boss Joe Gibbs went to the inside of Allmendinger to reclaim the lead for the final time.
Gibbs cruised from there, taking the chequered flag by 0.948 seconds ahead of Allmendinger for his third NASCAR Xfinity Series win in just 10 career starts. Austin Cindric, meanwhile, completed the podium.
“[Cindric] and AJ, they are like the baddest dudes on the road course ever and I don’t really know how I beat them,” said Gibbs. “My guys have worked so hard and did such a great job and we had just a great race.”
Allmendinger said he knew his lead wasn’t secure on the final restart, and had needed to see Gibbs drop back a couple more positions on the sprint to the line if he was to hold on in his Kaulig Racing Chevrolet. “If that would have happened…” said Allmendinger. “I passed him when he got in deep and he was carrying all the speed and I just throttled up on the outside to clear him. But I knew how good he was, especially through the carousel and the last corner.”
Justin Allgaier was fourth and Harrison Burton rounded out the top five.
NASCAR XFINITY SERIES WATKINS GLEN (USA) 7 AUGUST
ROUND 20/33