NASCAR Review: Ty Gibbs Only Positive From Horrific JGR Weekend at Chicago

Joe Gibbs Racing did not have a memorable outing to Chicago this Sunday. Only Ty Gibbs, the team’s youngest driver, managed a worthy result finishing in third place. Notably, he finished in the same position in the Xfinity Series race on Saturday as well. As things stand in the premier tier, he is 70 points above the playoff elimination line and yet to finalize a spot in the playoffs.

He told the press after coming extremely close to securing his maiden Cup Series win, “We’re just so close, super close both days. I mean, all I can ask for is a win, but we are right there. It’s been really fun running the Cup Series. Just appreciative of what I get to do and thankful for what I get to do.” One of those who were able to tackle the damp street course expertly, Gibbs led a race-high of 17 laps.

He was also involved in the accident that sent Kyle Larson careening into the Turn 6 tire barrier but escaped unscathed. The one move that could have potentially stopped him from winning the race was pitting on Lap 43 for slick tires. He couldn’t find his way to the front from thereon and finished behind Alex Bowman and Tyler Reddick.

The colleagues of Gibbs had days far worse off than he did. Denny Hamlin finished in 30th place after coming 23rd at the end of Stage 1 and 10th at the end of Stage 2. He was amongst those falling prey to the treacherous Turn 6 and crashed into the tire barrier on the restart at Lap 31 after his brakes locked up. Martin Truex Jr. ended up in 33rd place.

Martin Truex Jr. and Christopher Bell round off a disappointing day for Joe Gibbs Racing

Truex Jr. and Bell could’ve each had their decent results but fate ruled otherwise. The former finished Stage 2 in fifth place and Bell in 13th place. Bell had led a large part of the second stage but was amongst those who changed tires before the break. As a result of this, the top-10 at the end of the stage comprised those who were still running wet-weather tires.

With less than five minutes to go on the clock, Bell climbed up to seventh place during Lap 55. But tragedy struck as Ricky Stenhouse Jr. got into Truex Jr. who then crashed into Carson Hocevar and Bell in Turn 2. The chaotic spinning led to Truex finishing in 33rd place and Bell crashing out at 37th place, three laps down, and unable to complete his run.