Ty Gibbs found himself in the eye of the storm at Sonoma. Though he crossed the finish line in seventh, the day wasn’t without fireworks, especially involving RFK Racing. First, trouble flared on Lap 52 of the race when Gibbs tangled with Chris Buescher on track, only for tensions to boil over moments later on pit road.
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As Gibbs charged into his pit box, he passed through Brad Keselowski’s adjacent stall, with the No. 6 driver trailing close behind. According to NASCAR protocol, Gibbs had the right of way as the lead car occupying the pit box in front. But what raised eyebrows was how close he came to clipping Telvin McClurkin, Keselowski’s tire carrier, who had just jumped the wall.
The sudden move disrupted the No. 6 team’s stop and nearly turned pit road into a battleground. A heated exchange erupted, with RFK and JGR crew members trading shoves before NASCAR officials stepped in to calm things down.
Delegates from both camps downplayed the clash, labeling it a disagreement. But Gibbs didn’t mince words post-race. He said, “We have these orange lines right there, as you can see, I’m sure they’ll show you after, where if I’m behind him, I have to go around those orange lines for it to be the rule. Going in, I have the right-of-way.”
“So, they’re on the wall for a reason, they jump for a reason, and they kind of get out of the way. And those guys like to push it, and that’s kind of the consequence you pay. So it’s unfortunate for them that they had a penalty. Nothing malicious. It’s my right-of-way,” Gibbs added.
Trying to douse the flames, Keselowski’s crew chief Jeremy Bullins responded, “If we were in that pit box, I would expect him (Keselowski) to do the same [expletive] thing, so we’re good. It’s your right to drive through here. It sucks, but it is what it is.”
Meanwhile, TNT Sports reported that McClurkin said Gibbs’ car struck a tire in his hand and twisted his wrist. Fortunately, McClurkin confirmed he was fine and continued pitting for the remainder of the race.
RFK has the video from their pit box: https://t.co/uimFzF2bwk
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) July 13, 2025
The fallout wasn’t limited to pit road. Fans lit up social media with strong opinions. One wrote, “Hit the tires in his hand. I’d be pissed too.” Another didn’t hold back, saying, “Ty Gibbs has an attitude problem that’s going to get someone k*lled.” A third chimed in, “Could have been far worse. He’s lucky no one got seriously injured!”
One user went for the jugular, declaring, “What a nepo-baby chump. How is he not black flagged and kicked out of the race after that? That’s intentional disregard for safety of the pit crew right there.”
NASCAR later confirmed that officials reviewed the sequence and found no foul on Gibbs’ part, noting that the No. 6 crew should have left more space. However, the sanctioning body will re-examine the altercation during the week to determine if any penalties are warranted.
