Gibbs’ dominant day at The Glen thwarted by Mayer in Xfinity Series race
Ty Gibbs #TyGibbs
WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. — Ty Gibbs did just about everything right in Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Watkins Glen International.
The 20-year-old won the pole in qualifying and dominated the Shriners Children’s 200 at The Glen, leading 70 of 86 laps around the 2.45-mile road course and seemed destined for his second win there.
Instead, while leading on a restart in NASCAR Overtime, Gibbs was tagged in the rear bumper by Sam Mayer entering Turn 1, sending Gibbs’ No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota for a spin in the run-off area. Gibbs plummeted down the leaderboard with just two laps remaining and finished 17th. Mayer, meanwhile, claimed his second career Xfinity Series win.
MORE: Unofficial results | At-track photos: Watkins Glen
“I really wasn’t looking at my mirror like that,” Gibbs said of the restart, in which Mayer lined up behind him on the inside lane. “You know, I was like a car length or so in front of them, and I think he wheel-hopped and wrecked us there. So just something he did with that was a mistake on his part and completely cleaned us out.”
This story will be updated.