Back in 2023, Michael McDowell sent out a warning. Joe Gibbs’ grandson, Ty Gibbs, had stirred up controversy in the All-Star Open race. After Ty Gibbs pushed him into Justin Haley and wrecked both of them, McDowell didn’t hold back. He called out Gibbs’ driving style as reckless and warned that such moves wouldn’t go unanswered forever. “He just plowed into me and spun us both out… You can get away with it a few times, but it comes around,” McDowell had said after the race.
That day, Ty Gibbs escaped with a second-place finish and moved on to the All-Star Race. But McDowell never forgot. And for many, that incident defined what they saw in Gibbs: fast, fearless, and at times reckless. Gibbs, then barely 20, shrugged it off, saying, “We got in, that’s all that matters.” But seasoned veterans knew better. In NASCAR, reputations stick. You earn them. And you pay for them. McDowell’s message wasn’t just personal; it was prophetic.
Fast-forward nearly two years, and the prophecy has caught up. In Mexico City, at the historic return of the Xfinity Series to Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, another voice has joined the list of those frustrated by Ty Gibbs. This time it’s Connor Zilisch, the rising teenage star of Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s JR Motorsports. After an intense race that ended in wrecked cars and shattered hopes, Zilisch didn’t hold back and called Gibbs’ move intentional.
Connor Zilisch blames Ty Gibbs for early wrecks!
From the drop of the green flag, Connor Zilisch and Ty Gibbs raced like rivals with something to prove. They started 1-2 and pushed each other hard throughout the day. Their duels were sharp, and there were several moments early in the race that hinted at a storm brewing. Contact here, a shove there, Zilisch noticed the pattern. While the final wreck on the last restart may have ended both their chances to win, Zilisch believes the tone was set long before the chaos ensured in the final stage.
After the race, Zilisch didn’t dodge the topic. Asked whether the early contact was just tight racing or something more, he answered clearly: “Yeah, it was just Ty. He was racing me really hard the whole time. I was easy on him the first lap, let him have it in the first few corners, and took the lead. Then I was a little faster than him. So, when I cleared him down into one, I went in a little deep and washed out. I don’t think he liked how I did that. He got mad at me and shipped me. So no, I don’t think it was just the nature of the corners, I think that was pretty intentional.”
“That’s just @TyGibbs. He was racing me really hard… He got mad at me and shipped me… That was pretty intentional.”@ConnorZilisch gave his perspective of his incident with Gibbs at start of the race and shared his recovery to fifth. @christianeckes also discussed his race. pic.twitter.com/BnJ7Bbj65F
— Frontstretch (@Frontstretch) June 15, 2025
Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s teenage star believed Gibbs got upset after losing the lead early and decided to take matters into his own hands. Notably, this isn’t the first time someone has accused Ty Gibbs of racing with a chip on his shoulder. From Michael McDowell in 2023 to his own teammate in the 2022 Xfinity race, over the years, Gibbs has built a reputation as a driver who races on the edge, and sometimes over it. Whether it’s pushing a car into traffic or throwing a door slam in tight corners, critics say Gibbs crosses the line too often. For his fans, it’s fierce racing. For his rivals, it’s dangerous.
Still, Zilisch owned his part in the final crash. On the restart, he was three-wide going into Turn 1 and made contact with Gibbs. “I didn’t get a great push… I just got in a little hot, and I hit Ty. That ended both of our races. It was frustrating. I wish that didn’t happen,” he said. Zilisch didn’t shy away from the blame; he admitted that a cleaner entry could have saved both of their chances. But he also made it clear: the heat between them didn’t start there. The wreck itself was chaotic. His move forced a chain reaction that collected 13 cars.
Despite being the one who spun, he drove back through the field and clawed his way to fifth. But his charge ended there. Both he and Gibbs, who had led 33 of the first 40 laps combined, saw their hopes of winning in Mexico crushed in one messy moment. After the race, Ty Gibbs chose a calmer tone. Speaking to the media, he said, “I didn’t see much besides getting absolutely drilled in the door… I got hit so hard it took the wheel out of my hand.” He laughed it off, even congratulating Daniel Suarez on the win.
Overall, on the restart in the final stage, it was Zilisch’s race to lose, and the JRM driver did so. Despite losing, Zilisch’s recovery showed resilience. Finishing fifth after restarting 28th with a damaged car was no small feat. It marked his third straight top-five finish in the Xfinity Series and continued an impressive 2025 campaign. In 14 races this year, he now has 4 top-five five and a win. Not bad for someone barely out of high school.
Jeff Burton gives golden advice to Gibbs
Long before the Xfinity drama in Mexico, Ty Gibbs had a near miss at Michigan in the Cup Series. Now, ahead of the Mexico Cup race, veteran Jeff Burton had a few words for the Joe Gibbs Racing driver. Gibbs had just finished third behind his teammate Denny Hamlin and was visibly frustrated. Burton, however, saw it differently. “I don’t know how to take that. I like frustration when you’re not winning but I feel like I need a little glass half full out of the young man. He’s got a lot going, got a lot of talent, (had a) good day.”
In other words, Burton saw talent, but also a need for perspective. Burton’s point was simple. Ty Gibbs, at just 22, had a great day. He finished ahead of veterans, challenged for the win, and showed real progress. But instead of appreciating that, Gibbs focused on what went wrong. “How did my teammate have enough fuel, and I didn’t?” he had asked post-race. It wasn’t the wrong question, but to Burton, it was the wrong focus.
Even Ty’s mom, Heather Gibbs, chimed in after the Michigan race. She told reporters that her son had nothing to be ashamed of. A podium in the Cup Series at 22 is rare. The fact that it felt like a loss to Ty showed how hungry he is. But for Burton, the bigger lesson is about handling both success and setbacks the right way. And maybe, that’s where Gibbs still has some growing to do. Because in moments like Mexico, when young drivers like Zilisch call him out, it’s not just about speed. It’s about how you race. And how you respond.
The post “That Was Pretty Intentional:” Dale Jr.’s Star Accuses Joe Gibbs’ Grandson of ‘Dirty Move’ After Mexico Race appeared first on EssentiallySports.
