One of NASCAR’s young talents gave all the fans who enjoyed a full day of racing at new-look Atlanta Motor Speedway a thrilling finish Saturday night.
Starting in the second row on a double-overtime restart, Ty Gibbs used a masterful crossover move on the final lap to earn the checkered flag in the Nalley Cars 250 NASCAR Xfinity Series race.
“I did not expect this at all,” said Gibbs after his sixth career NASCAR Xfinity Series win and second of the 2022 season. “I learned a big lesson – never give up.”
The 19-year-old from Charlotte, N.C., drove the No. 54 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing to Victory Lane after edging Austin Hill to the start-finish line by less than two-tenths of a second.
Gibbs, who only led the race’s final lap, had to survive several late restarts in the final laps before passing Ryan Sieg and Austin Hill on the white-flag lap.
With 10 laps to go, a huge wreck on the backstretch knocked out several top contenders, including Justin Allgaier, Trevor Bayne (38 laps led), Josh Berry and Noah Gragson (38 laps led).
On the subsequent restart with three laps left, Myatt Snider, leading the inside lane, spun after making contact with Riley Herbst.
Finally, a wreck in the back of the pack short circuited the first green-white-checkered attempt and led to red-flag conditions before Gibbs’ dramatic pass.
Saturday’s race was the first Xfinity Series event on Atlanta’s revamped track, which features 28 degrees of banking in every turn of the 1.54-mile layout and the Speedway’s first new asphalt layer since 1997.
Gibbs completed the 265 miles in 2 hours, 36 minutes and 37 seconds, averaging 101.454 mph. Eleven drivers exchanged the lead 10 times through 10 caution periods, which took up 56 laps.
For Hill, a Winston, Ga., native who led 27 laps, it was another close call at one of his favorite tracks.
“Man, so close,” Hill said. “This is three times I’ve finished second here. Being my home track, it stings a little bit more. We can’t hang our heads.”
Stage 2 winner A.J. Allmendinger led a race-high 41 laps and placed third, Herbst finished fourth and Landon Cassill was fifth. Stage 1 winner Berry finished 33rd.
Atlanta’s weekend is capped Sunday with the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 NASCAR Cup Series race (3 p.m., Fox). Chase Briscoe will start on the pole Sunday, determined by NASCAR’s formula.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit AtlantaMotorSpeedway.com or call 877-9-AMS-TIX.
AMS PR
