When Ty Gibbs finally begins full-time competition in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in the future, you can already pencil him in as a playoff and likely championship contender. Until then, he will just keep winning as a part-timer.
Saturday’s Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey 200 at Watkins Glen International ended with Gibbs holding off venerable road course expert A.J. Allmendinger to win his third career race in just his tenth start. The effort came in dominating fashion as he led 43 of 82 laps.
Austin Cindric started on the pole and led the entire first segment. Excluding a competition caution on lap 12, the lone yellow flag of the stage came on lap five when NASCAR newcomer Michael Munley crashed into the tyre barrier, though he would return to the race before exiting much later into the event with a suspension failure. Allmendinger, Daniel Hemric, Harrison Burton, Jeb Burton, Justin Haley, Noah Gragson, Brandon Jones, Riley Herbst, and Sam Mayer rounded out the top ten.
Harrison Burton, Jones, Gibbs, and Allmendinger would lead laps in Stage #2 with Allmendinger taking the win ahead of Gibbs, Cindric, Justin Allgaier, Gragson, Herbst, Mayer, Michael Annett, Erik Jones, and Hemric. Annett was making his return to competition after recovering from a leg injury. Alex Labbé‘s car stalling on lap 35 was responsible for the only caution in the segment.
Gibbs led the field to begin the final stage before losing it to Joe Gibbs Racing team-mate Hemric and Matt Mills bringing out the caution. Jones, doing a one-off, also wrecked on lap 69 for another yellow, as did Kyle Weatherman on lap 78 after his car caught fire due to an electrical issue. The Weatherman incident set up a four-lap run to the finish, one that saw Gibbs keep Allmendinger at bay en route to the victory.
Besides being the 18-year-old’s third win, it is Gibbs’ second on a road course after triumphing in his Xfinity début at the Daytona Road Course in February.
“That was probably the most fun race I’ve ever been in with A.J. and with the #7 (Allgaier) and the #22 (Cindric), those guys are very experienced veterans in this racing series,” said Gibbs. “To be able to race and beat them just means a lot. I learned a lot from them too. […] The #22 and A.J., the baddest dudes on the road course ever. I don’t really know how I beat them.
“My guys worked so hard and they do such a good job. What a great race. I’m just at a loss for words right now. This is just awesome.”
Race results
| Finish | Start | Number | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Laps | Status |
| 1 | 15 | 54 | Ty Gibbs | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 82 | Running |
| 2 | 6 | 16 | A.J. Allmendinger | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 82 | Running |
| 3 | 2 | 22 | Austin Cindric | Team Penske | Ford | 82 | Running |
| 4 | 1 | 7 | Justin Allgaier | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 82 | Running |
| 5 | 4 | 20 | Harrison Burton | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 82 | Running |
| 6 | 21 | 19 | Brandon Jones | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 82 | Running |
| 7 | 11 | 9 | Noah Gragson | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 82 | Running |
| 8 | 8 | 10 | Jeb Burton | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 82 | Running |
| 9 | 5 | 11 | Justin Haley | Kaulig Racing | Chevrolet | 82 | Running |
| 10 | 23 | 8 | Sam Mayer | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 82 | Running |
| 11 | 18 | 1 | Michael Annett | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 82 | Running |
| 12 | 14 | 68 | Brandon Brown | Brandonbilt Motorsports | Chevrolet | 82 | Running |
| 13 | 10 | 98 | Riley Herbst | Stewart-Haas Racing | Ford | 82 | Running |
| 14 | 19 | 92 | Josh Williams | DGM Racing | Chevrolet | 82 | Running |
| 15 | 7 | 2 | Myatt Snider | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 82 | Running |
| 16 | 12 | 51 | Jeremy Clements | Jeremy Clements Racing | Chevrolet | 82 | Running |
| 17 | 24 | 26 | Kris Wright* | Sam Hunt Racing | Toyota | 82 | Running |
| 18 | 13 | 39 | Ryan Sieg | RSS Racing | Ford | 82 | Running |
| 19 | 17 | 44 | Tommy Joe Martins | Martins Motorsports | Chevrolet | 82 | Running |
| 20 | 20 | 4 | Landon Cassill | JD Motorsports | Chevrolet | 82 | Running |
| 21 | 16 | 48 | Jade Buford | Big Machine Racing | Chevrolet | 82 | Running |
| 22 | 3 | 18 | Daniel Hemric | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 82 | Running |
| 23 | 35 | 90 | Preston Pardus | DGM Racing | Chevrolet | 82 | Running |
| 24 | 30 | 17 | Josh Bilicki* | SS-Green Light Racing | Chevrolet | 82 | Running |
| 25 | 28 | 0 | Jeffrey Earnhardt | JD Motorsports | Chevrolet | 82 | Running |
| 26 | 9 | 02 | Brett Moffitt | Our Motorsports | Chevrolet | 82 | Running |
| 27 | 27 | 78 | Jesse Little | B.J. McLeod Motorsports | Chevrolet | 82 | Running |
| 28 | 40 | 61 | Stephen Leicht | MBM Motorsports | Toyota | 82 | Running |
| 29 | 32 | 66 | Timmy Hill* | MBM Motorsports | Chevrolet | 81 | Running |
| 30 | 25 | 07 | Joe Graf Jr. | SS-Green Light Racing | Chevrolet | 81 | Running |
| 31 | 31 | 15 | Colby Howard | JD Motorsports | Chevrolet | 81 | Running |
| 32 | 39 | 74 | Bayley Currey* | Mike Harmon Racing | Chevrolet | 81 | Running |
| 33 | 38 | 52 | David Smith | Jimmy Means Racing | Chevrolet | 80 | Running |
| 34 | 22 | 47 | Kyle Weatherman | Mike Harmon Racing | Chevrolet | 75 | Electrical |
| 35 | 34 | 6 | Michael Munley | JD Motorsports | Chevrolet | 74 | Suspension |
| 36 | 36 | 31 | Erik Jones* | Jordan Anderson Racing | Chevrolet | 66 | Accident |
| 37 | 33 | 23 | Austin Dillon* | Our Motorsports | Chevrolet | 53 | Chassis |
| 38 | 29 | 5 | Matt Mills | B.J. McLeod Motorsports | Toyota | 47 | Accident |
| 39 | 26 | 36 | Alex Labbé | DGM Racing | Chevrolet | 28 | Rear Gear |
| 40 | 37 | 99 | Kyle Tilley* | B.J. McLeod Motorsports | Chevrolet | 20 | DVP |
* – Ineligible for Xfinity points