Ty Gibbs’ final race of the season came to an abrupt halt just after starting from P6, when on Lap 2, he crashed heavily into the wall. While navigating the exit of Turn 4, Gibbs lost control, slamming the right side of his #54 car into the SAFETY barrier, which triggered the day’s first caution and marked a disappointing end to his run in the 36th race of the season, finishing at P40.
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Later, when queried by Frontstretch reporters about his condition following the severe impact, Gibbs assured, “I think I’m okay.”
He reflected on the incident, explaining, “It was definitely a big hit. I made contact with the wall, but I didn’t think it was necessarily too bad, and I went off into the dogleg. We’ve been really hard on the track there all week, and I think I just caught it at a bad angle, and it just took off from me. I had no control there.”
This NASCAR season saw Gibbs finishing three races in DNFs, starting strong as a top-10 driver in the early rounds but hitting a rough patch over the summer that saw his momentum stutter. The #54 team scrambled to regain their footing as they entered the playoffs.
A costly speeding penalty on the pit road during the Bristol race further hampered Gibbs, relegating him to a P15 finish from a P13 start. The hiccup also contributed to his early exit from the playoff contention after the round of 16.
On a brighter note, this season marked a milestone for the grandson of Joe Gibbs, as it was his first playoff appearance in the Cup championship since beginning his Cup racing career three years ago. Wrapping up the season at P15, Gibbs has recorded his career-best finish in the NASCAR Cup Series to date.
