CHICAGO — Sitting on the front row with three laps to go, Ty Gibbs had a shot at Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race on the streets of Chicago.
But New Zealander Shane van Gisbergen got a better restart and sailed past him in turn one, chasing down Jesse Love later that lap to score the victory.
However, the eventual outcome of Gibbs’ race likely falls on an eventful trip down pit road at the end of Stage One. After coming home third in the 15-lap opening segment, Gibbs led a string of lead-lap cars for what would likely be their only service of the day. Coming onto pit road, Gibbs had his car in the wrong gear, running a slower pace and jumbling up the cars behind him.
Once into his pit stall, a tire gun blew out on the rear and his No. 19 Toyota Supra lost several spots. That forced heavy lifting for the 21-year-old in Stage Two and beyond.
“It was nobody’s fault — just part of it,” Gibbs explained after the race. “I had to use, I feel like, a good bit of my stuff to get back all the way to the front. Then, I was just too loose – we were kind of loose the whole time. It was just hard there at the end.”
The Joe Gibbs Racing driver ended up mid-field as many of the contenders split pit strategies. Leaders van Gisbergen and Kyle Larson didn’t stop until lap 24, and while they had to work through the field to get back to the front, they had a tire advantage.
Still, Gibbs fought back and found himself in contention during the waning laps.
As van Gisbergen set sail out front with three to go, Gibbs got past Love and took second, but had nothing for the Kiwi – who won his third consecutive Xfinity road course race.
“He just seemed like he set him up really well getting into (turn) six and had him pointed in a whole different direction,” Gibbs said of the battle between Love and van Gisbergen. “He could cross him back over quickly and jump inside and get his nose far out enough to where Love is going to have to lift because at that point it doesn’t make sense to run the corner next to him.”
If Gibbs got past Love for second sooner, could he have run down van Gisbergen?
The former Xfinity Series champion was skeptical.
“I just think that we were going to get by (Love) so fast anyways I don’t think it was really going to be a race at that point,” he said.
Still, it’s a learning experience for Gibbs as he prepares for his day job Sunday driving the No. 54 Camry. Even though he didn’t end up in victory lane, the track time is a win in itself.
“But overall, for track time, I had a great time,” Gibbs said. “I’d rather win, but appreciate the opportunity … It’s been a fun time and hopefully ready for the next one.”