NASCAR News

Gibbs wrecks JGR teammate Jones for Martinsville Xfinity win

Gibbs wrecks JGR teammate Jones for Martinsville Xfinity win


The originally scheduled 250-lap elimination race entered its third two-lap overtime with Gibbs as the leader, as he had reclaimed it prior to the last caution.

Gibbs, Jones and Noah Gragson battled three-wide for the lead on the restart and Jones got the lead off Turn 4 but shortly after the white flag was displayed, Gibbs got into the back of Jones and sent him into the Turn 1 wall.

NASCAR once again displayed the caution but since the white flag had come out, the field was frozen with Gibbs as the leader and he claimed the win, his sixth of the season.

 

Jones, who had to win the race to advance to the Championship 4, ended up 23rd and the last car on the lead lap.

With the win, Gibbs joins Josh Berry and Gragson as locked into the Championship 4. Justin Allgaier, with his fifth-place finish claimed the final slot. Whoever finishes highest among those four drivers next weekend at Phoenix will be the 2022 series champion.

Sheldon Creed ended up second in the race, Riley Herbst third, Gragson fourth and Allgaier fifth.

A.J. Allmendinger, who was the 2022 regular season champion, finished 16th and will not have the opportunity to win an Xfinity title before he moves on to fulltime Cup next year.

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Stage 3

Following the break between Stages 2 and 3, several lead-lap cars pit with Gibbs the first off pit road. Berry remained on the track and inherited the lead.

On the restart on Lap 129, Berry was followed by Austin Hill, Sammy Smith and Jones. Gibbs lined up 13th.

On lap 162, J.J. Yeley wheel-hopped on the backstretch and spun into the Turn 3 wall which brought out the fifth caution of the race.

All the lead-lap cars pit with Jones first off pit road. Creed was penalized for speeding on pit road and had to restart from the rear of the field.

When the race returned to green on Lap 170, Jones was followed by Berry, Gibbs and Gragson.

On Lap 178, Gibbs went to the outside of Jones and reclaimed the lead.

On Lap 195, both Kris Wright and Howie DiSavino III went around in Turns 3 and 4 which placed the race back under caution.

 

Several lead-lap cars elected to pit with Jeremy Clements the first off pit road. Gibbs stayed out and remained in the lead.

When the race resumed on Lap 203, Gibbs was followed by Jones, Berry, Gragson and Herbst. Allmendinger restarted 15th.

After contact from Daniel Hemric, Ryan Sieg slammed into the Turn 2 wall to place the race back under caution on Lap 204.

The race returned to green on Lap…

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