Photo: Nigel Kinrade Photography
By Aaron Bearden

What happened?

The end of Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race came down to the final corner at Richmond Raceway. Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Ty Gibbs and John Hunter Nemechek found themselves battling for the win at the end of a lengthy run to the checkered flag, going to war with old tires and lapped traffic to contest.

With 10 to go, Gibbs appeared poised to hold on for a narrow victory. But Nemechek rose to challenge him with five to go. What ensued were five laps of intense, contact-filled racing.

Nemechek was clear of Gibbs for the lead coming to the white flag, but washed up the track in Turns 1 and 2 after contact. Seeing his moment to strike, Gibbs dove deep into Turn 3, sending both drivers sailing up into the outside lane.

Gibbs quickly recovered to take the lead and his third victory of 2022. Nemechek had to settle for second, nudging Gibbs going into Turn 1 to show his displeasure with the winning move.

“We’re racing for wins and they’re hard to come by, and I had to take it,” Gibbs said, also noting that he will “deserve one back” from Nemechek down the road.

Nemechek vowed to “settle it Monday” in the team meeting, but also acknowledged that “racers never forget.”

Analysis

Racing for the win is the end goal of every driver in the field, but few positions are more intense and challenging to a driver’s ethics – particularly when teammates are involved. Adding the appeal for contact that only short track racing can provide just adds to the dilemma.

To bump or not to bump? It’s among NASCAR’s most polarizing questions. The answer can vary by driver’s style, experience level or even their circumstances at the moment in question.

Gibbs felt justified going for the winning move in the ToyotaCare 250, saying in the post-race press conference that he always meant to hit Nemechek. “I was going to have to (hit) him anyways,” Gibbs told FOX Sports. “(Nemechek) could turn through the center better and I just couldn’t rotate.”

He did have regrets over how aggressive his contact was, though, saying “if I could go back I would not have drove it (in) as hard and hit him as hard (and knocked) him way up the track.”

Whether Gibbs’ move was justified or not is a fair question, one only he can determine for himself.

Drivers are brought on with the intent to win races. Only a championship means more. This is particularly true in the sport’s lower levels, where getting to victory lane can make or break a career.

As the grandson of team owner Joe Gibbs with seven wins in 25 Xfinity starts, Gibbs isn’t in any career jeopardy. If anything he’s quickly increasing his justification for a Cup Series ride as soon as next season. But the 19-year-old is also racing for a championship, meaning every potential playoff point matters.

There was a time when a part-time driver in a series like Nemechek might be more inclined to be aggressive. But in this era there’s justification for every driver to chase any opportunity to claim a win.

The elimination playoffs have played a role in increasing the call for intensity from the entire NASCAR field, particularly in the playoff point era. Locking in a postseason berth was part of what justified Ross Chastain’s late dramatics with AJ Allmendinger in the Cup Series race at Circuit of the Americas.

Allmendinger was frustrated afterwards, of course. Why wouldn’t he be? But all involved understood why Chastain would make the move he had. Winning a Cup race is the pinnacle of a career. Doing so in the modern era also changes the entire complexion of a driver’s season.

Some might argue that a move like Gibbs’ on Saturday isn’t “racing” – that it’s egregious and against the competitive spirit of the sport. But ultimately Gibbs has three jobs: winning races, maximizing every finish and chasing a series championship.

To that regard, he did what should have been expected of him at Richmond, particularly as a younger driver still looking to make his name. Nemechek should know that position all-too-well, having pulled similar dramatics on Cole Custer for a Camping World Truck Series win back in 2016.

Nemechek has continued to develop and mature since then. There’s a strong chance he might not make a similar move today if the opportunity arose. But Gibbs is younger and eager to score every win possible.

Could he have pulled off the move in better fashion? Sure. The drive into Turn 3 was a bit egregious, though he didn’t wreck either driver.

Should teammates make contact like that for the win? It’s debatable – but this isn’t a new topic for Joe Gibbs Racing at Richmond.

Should Gibbs be prepared for payback sometime down the road? If the right situation arises, certainly. Nemechek would be justified in returning the favor.

Gibbs was put in a position countless drivers have found themselves in before. He chose to make the move for there win at all costs and did so without completely wrecking his teammate to do so.

That’s NASCAR. That’s short track racing.

It wasn’t the first time we’ve seen it, nor will it be the last.

Keep the Beat marching on. Support us on Patreon.
Become a patron at Patreon!
John Hunter Nemechek NASCAR XFINITY Series Ty Gibbs