Tempers flared at Sonoma after a contact between Ty Gibbs and Chris Buescher on Lap 52, but the real outburst came moments later on the pit road. As Gibbs barreled into his pit stall, he threaded the needle between chaos and control by cutting through Brad Keselowski’s adjacent box with the No. 6 car running just behind his.
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Though NASCAR rules gave Gibbs the right of way as his was the car in front, the close call with Telvin McClurkin, Keselowski’s tire carrier, who had just vaulted over the wall, nearly turned routine service into a pit lane disaster.
The abrupt entry threw the No. 6 crew’s stop out of rhythm and triggered a heated confrontation. Emotions boiled over as RFK and JGR crew members traded shoves in front of the media center before NASCAR officials stepped in to calm things down. Despite the scuffle, NASCAR officials ruled Gibbs’ maneuver legal and free of intent, and no penalty was imposed on the No. 54 team.
As the dust settled on the controversial incident, fans weighed in on it after journalist Jeff Gluck reshared RFK Racing’s X post showing the incident from a new angle.
“Ty Gibbs was cleared of wrongdoing in this incident FWIW, but RFK has shared another angle,” wrote Gluck on his post. The fan base didn’t hold back.
“Why is this becoming such a huge deal? I don’t understand this. He enters like any other driver would do,” commented a fan. Another echoed, “RFK crew was over the wall early. Gibbs had [the] right of way.”
A user said, “He was pulling into his pit stall.” Even a self-proclaimed critic of Gibbs admitted, “I hate Ty Gibbs, and even I can see the crew member was off the wall early. Quit getting a head start, and this is a zero issue.”
Ty Gibbs was cleared of wrongdoing in this incident FWIW, but RFK has shared another angle. https://t.co/VbhNpWI8tb
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) July 14, 2025
TNT Sports later reported that McClurkin claimed Gibbs’ car clipped the tire in his hand and twisted his wrist. Fortunately, he shook it off and continued working with the No. 6 crew for the rest of the race.
Insiders believe NASCAR was right not to penalize Gibbs
On NASCAR Inside the Race after the Sonoma showdown, Todd Gordon and Kyle Petty discussed the officials’ decision not to penalize Gibbs in the pit road flap involving Keselowski’s tire carrier. Gordon painted a picture of the chain of events.
“I see two cars coming to green-flag pit stops in some of the shortest boxes on pit road. I see two cars coming to the green flag pit in some of the shortest boxes we’ve got on pit road,” said Gordon.
“One tire carrier has to carry two tires, and he’s standing kind of sideways, and that leaves his tires out, exposed… Ty comes through, makes a little contact with the outboard tire. It kind of spins the tire carrier’s wrist around and puts him a little behind,” he added.
In Gordon’s view, the carrier could’ve tightened up his stance, knowing a car from the forward box had nowhere else to go. He added that the tire carrier had to make himself a little skinnier to avoid getting caught in the crossfire.
According to Gordon, Gibbs was doing his job, trying to squeeze in tight to the fueler; with pit boxes that short, the driver has to dip into the box behind to angle in right. Petty backed Gordon without hesitation.
With pit stalls this tight and two cars coming in nose to tail, it’s the nature of the beast. Gibbs had no choice but to come in through the box behind to square up in his own for a clean stop and give the tire guys room.
In Petty’s eyes, the incident didn’t warrant the storm it stirred. He placed no blame on Gibbs or the crewman but did offer a suggestion that the tire carrier probably could’ve kept that tire tucked in. Having walked the walk as a former tire carrier for his father Richard Petty’s team, Kyle’s words surely carry the weight of experience.
On the track, Gibbs crossed the line in seventh, climbing two spots in the standings to 17th. But he remains just outside playoff contention. Keselowski brought his car home in 11th, inching up to 27th in the standings.
