Explained: What Really Happened Between Ty Gibbs and Brad Keselowski’s Pit Crews At Sonoma?

It was a little late for 4^th of July, but there were fireworks nonetheless during Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Sonoma Raceway.

On Lap 52 of the Toyota/Save Mart 350, after making contact with Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing’s Chris Buescher, Joe Gibbs Racing’s Ty Gibbs roared into his pit stall, passing through Brad Keselowski’s pit stall, which was adjacent to Gibbs’, along the way.

Keselowski was trailing behind Gibbs. However, Gibbs had the right of way and crossed through Keselowski’s pit stall, which is allowed by the rules if Gibbs is the lead vehicle and in the forward pit stall.

As Gibbs passed through part of Keselowski’s pit stall, he grazed one of the tires in the hands of Telvin McClurkin, Keselowski’s tire changer, and nearly missed hitting him. McClurkin told TNT Sports the incident led to a twisted wrist, but he stayed in the race.

McClurkin had already climbed over the pit road wall. He was waiting for Keselowski to come to a stop. Both cars were serviced, proceeded back on-track, and then a shoving match began between several members of Gibbs’ and Keselowski’s pit crews.

Performance Racing Network pit reporter Wendy Venturini was directly in front of the incident.

“Gibbs came to pit road, his stall right in front of Keselowski’s,” Venturini said. “Tire changer for the No. 6 was waiting on pit wall when Gibbs came in to pit and clipped the tire from the No. 6 tire carrier. The tire changer confronted the Gibbs’ crew after their stop and that’s when the altercation ensued.”

NASCAR: No harm, no foul, no penalties (for now)

NASCAR officials had to separate the combatants. While no penalties were assessed to either driver or team, officials said Keselowski’s team should have given more room to Gibbs’ No. 54, but that they ruled Gibbs’ actions were unintentional.

However, there will likely be further review by NASCAR officials on Monday and there could still be penalties issued (Tuesday is the usual day NASCAR issues penalties).

Meanwhile, RFK released an overhead video of their pit stall showing that Gibbs was indeed tight coming through Keselowski’s stall.

“By NASCAR rules, I’m the lead car because I’m the pit box pass where the 6 (Keselowski) is, and I’m in front of him as well,” Gibbs told TNT after the race. “We have these orange lines, I have to go around those orange lines, and I have right-of-way. 

“(The pit crew) is on the wall for a reason, they jump for a reason and they kind of get out of the way. Those guys like to push it and that’s kind of the consequence you pay. That’s unfortunate for them that they got penalized. Nothing malicious.”

The incident was pivotal for both teams, as neither Gibbs nor Keselowski have won a race this year and are both below the cutline to qualify for the NASCAR Cup playoffs, now with just six races remaining to do so.

Gibbs finished seventh in the race, allowing him to move up two spots in the standings to 17^th, still below qualifying for the playoffs. Keselowski, meanwhile, finished 11^th and moved up one spot in the standings to 27^th.