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TALLADEGA, Ala. — Ty Gibbs repeated his apology for a pit-road incident in last weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway, saying he will learn a lesson after absorbing a midweek behavioral penalty that left him $75,000 lighter.
Gibbs rallied from a Stage 1 spin and wall brush to finish seventh in Saturday’s Xfinity Series event at Talladega Superspeedway, stoking his bid to advance in that tour’s playoff grid. But his part-time duty on the Cup Series side, subbing for Kurt Busch with 23XI Racing, is what drew the attention of NASCAR officials.
Gibbs broadsided the No. 42 Chevrolet of Ty Dillon on pit road during last Sunday’s race, taking out his aggression in close proximity to RFK Racing crew members and NASCAR officials in a nearby pit stall. This week, Gibbs said his driving tactic was the subject of conversations at his Joe Gibbs Racing shop.
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“They did all the talking. You know, I have a great family and I have great team owners, and I definitely had a lot of chats,” said Gibbs, who apologized on social media after the penalty. “But just making sure that, I can sit here and apologize to everybody, and my words don’t mean anything because I think I have to do it through my actions. I mean, I’m sorry for my mistakes, I announced that, but it’s by my actions that I’m gonna really truly say I’m sorry, because I can’t be doing that stuff again and I’ve got to keep going. But definitely had a lot of talks.”
It’s not the first time this season that Gibbs has been fined for unsafe driving. This spring at Martinsville Speedway, the 19-year-old driver was docked for bumping the No. 1 Chevy of rival Sam Mayer on pit road after the checkered flag.
Gibbs said that replays of his run-in with Dillon have been difficult — but necessary — to watch.
“It’s just hard to go back and look at that stuff,” Gibbs said. “I’ll definitely remember it and I’ll watch it multiple times and I’ll learn from it. But you know, it definitely is sad to see myself doing that.”