Gibbs Sparks Fury with Pit Lane Contact and On-Track Chaos
It’s déjà vu for Ty Gibbs and not in a good way. The young NASCAR driver is once again under fire after a chaotic sequence at Sonoma Raceway that included a dangerous pit lane moment and a race-ending crash for Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
It all started at the end of Stage 2 when Gibbs threw a late block on RFK Racing’s Chris Buescher heading into Turn 11. Buescher didn’t lift, shoving Gibbs wide and costing him several positions.
Then came the pit stops and the real chaos. As Gibbs dove into his stall, he clipped a tire still in the hands of RFK tire carrier Telvin McClurkin, part of Brad Keselowski’s No. 6 team. The contact triggered an immediate confrontation. McClurkin stormed down pit lane, heated words were exchanged, and crew members from both teams got involved. NASCAR officials had to intervene.
RFK later posted the altercation on social media with the caption:
“You be the judge.”
Fan Outrage and Past Incidents Add Pressure on NASCAR
Gibbs’ pit lane aggression has fans calling for serious penalties — even a suspension.
“Fine him, charge him, and make him learn the value of human life,” one fan posted.
NASCAR insider Jeff Gluck weighed in, noting that the video seemed to show Gibbs taking a “bit of a swipe” at the pit crew — unacceptable behavior, especially given his history.
Back in 2022, Gibbs was fined $75,000 and docked 25 points for a similar pit lane incident in Texas that nearly endangered crew members. That context only fuels current calls for a harsher penalty.
“This should be the first suspension that doesn’t get a waiver,” one fan wrote.
Another added, “Silver spoon kids gonna do silver spoon things.”
The drama didn’t end in the pits. In the final laps at Sonoma, Gibbs made aggressive contact with Ricky Stenhouse Jr., sending the No. 47 hard into the tire barrier in the Esses. Stenhouse limped home in P33, his playoff hopes all but gone.
Despite the incidents, Gibbs finished P7, another top 10, but the backlash is louder than ever.
With his past and present actions under scrutiny, the question now looms: Will NASCAR bring the hammer down on Ty Gibbs?
Read More: The 10 Most Tragic NASCAR Accidents We’ll Never Forget
