Ty Gibbs moved teammate John Hunter Nemechek out of the way on the last-lap and drove to the win Saturday in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Richmond Raceway.
Gibbs shoved Nemechek in Turn 3 and 4 and went by on the inside to score his third win of the year and the seventh of his career.
Gibbs’ bump-and-run came after Nemechek, his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, passed him for the lead with five laps to go.
“I definitely deserve one back,” Gibbs told Fox Sports 1. “We’re racing for wins and they’re hard to come by. I had to take it. …. We’re short track racing.”
For Nemechek, it was his third series start of the year but his first for JGR.Â
“Him and I will settle it on Monday,” Nemechek told FS1. “I don’t want to say too much and get myself in trouble. Just got drove through. He didn’t even try to make the corner there.
“Racers never forget, that’s for sure.”
Click here for the race results.
The late-race drama capped a very uneventful 250-lap race that saw only one natural caution, which was for debris.
Gibbs led 115 laps, while Nemechek led 135. The only remaining lap was led by Sam Mayer.
The top five was completed by Mayer, AJ Allmendinger and Riley Herbst. It was the best-career finish for Mayer and the third top five of the season for Herbst.
In the first race of the Dash 4 Cash program, Mayer claimed the $100,000 bonus.
First Stage
Gibbs, who started on the pole, kept the lead for the first 12 laps of the race until Nemechek took it.
Around Lap 40 Noah Gragson, who was running in second, reported to his team that his brake pedal wasn’t working.
Nemechek led 64 laps and won the first stage, which went caution free.
The top 10 after 75 laps: Nemechek, Gragson, Josh Berry, AJ Almendinger, Gibbs, Ryan Sieg, Parker Retzlaff, Brandon Jones, Austin Hill and Sam Mayer.
Gragson underwent multiple pit stops to work on his brake problem. He finished one lap down in 21st for only his second finish outside the top five this season.
Second stage
The race restarted on Lap 80, but the only natural caution came four laps later for debris, which turned out to be off Gragson’s car.
The green flag waved on Lap 97 as Nemechek continued to lead.
Nemechek lead the entire stage until seven laps were left. Gibbs got by him with a pass on the inside going into Turn 1.
Gibbs went on to win the stage, his first stage win of the season.
The top 10 after 150 laps: Gibbs, Nemechek, Berry, Ryan Sieg, Allmendinger, Alfredo, Mayer, Allgaier, Herbst and Retzlaff.
Gibbs was the first off pit road, beating Nemechek and Berry. However, Berry was hit with a speeding penalty.
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