Pit road exploded into chaos at Sonoma’s Toyota/Save Mart 350 when Ty Gibbs clipped Brad Keselowski’s pit stall. It was a close shave that sparked a full-blown scaffold, complete with wrist grabs, team shoves, and NASCAR stepping in to diffuse the dustup. This pressure moment followed loads of criticism from the NASCAR community.
And now, after heated back-and-forth and plenty of speculation, NASCAR has fully handed down its decision, quitting the noise but leaving many wondering what it all means for the driver and the teams involved.
Ty Gibbs declares his innocence
On lap 52 of the Toyota/Save Mart 350, Ty Gibbs peeled into his #54 pit stall, and while doing so, he nudged the opening of Keselowski’s #6 stall, a move that was typical for a driver looking for a tight stop. However, Gibbs’ car appeared to nearly strike a tire still held by Brad’s front tire changer, Telvin McClurkin. McClurkin told TNT Sports the jolt twisted his wrist and visibly slowed the RFK stop.
Right after Brad Brad pitted, Telvin marched directly into Ty’s Box to confront the No. 54 crew, sparking shoves across both teams. NASCAR officials arrived in a rush to restore order before it escalated any further. This compounding tension was earlier contact on track between Gibbs and Brad in Turn 11, setting the stage for high emotions once the pair hit the pit lane.
During the broadcast, TNT’s Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Steve Letarte sided with NASCAR’s view, agreeing that Ty Gibbs made a fair stop and noting there was no better way to enter a stall under pressure late in the race. NASCAR told Gibbs and his pit crew that they were cleared of any wrongdoing, confirming that there would be no penalties or further action taken.
After the dust settled, Ty Gibbs was calm and confident. He told the TNT Sports reporters, “Yeah, you know, by NASCAR’s rules, I’m the lead car because I’m the pit box pass where the 6 is, and I’m in front of him as well. We have these orange lines right there, as you can see. … where if I’m behind him, I have to go around those orange lines for it to be a rule, and going in, I have the right of way.”
I’ve reviewed the pit stop rules and there’s seemingly nothing on the chart to address this. There should be a penalty for any car to crew contact on pit road(not matter the reason) and they should have to be farther out than half the pit box width in any box but their own. https://t.co/raiJp2GHov
— Chris Weaver (@chris8video) July 13, 2025
Bubbling beneath the smooth explanation was a clear message. He believes he played by the rules and the confrontation was a predictable reaction, not something he intentionally provoked. Despite this skirmish, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver wasn’t derailed. He ripped off a P7 finish, leveraging his clean pit stop and strong car into a top 10 result.
However, Ty had a strong stance about the RFK Racing’s No. 6 team, saying, “So, you know, they’re on the wall for a reason, they jumped for a reason. They kind of get out of the way. And those guys like to push it, and that’s kind of the consequence you pay. So, that’s unfortunate for them that they had a penalty. Nothing malicious; it’s my right of way.” However, NASCAR Nation didn’t feel the same way, calling for a suspension before the NASCAR officials made their decision.
Brad Keselowski’s strong comeback at Sonoma
Brad Keselowski rolled off from P21 at Sonoma, looking to claw his way into contention, but it was a gritty and incident-filled race for the No. 6. At first struggles with track position put him on the back foot, though his first stop on lap 22 aligned with a major strategy window shared by several frontrunners. A few laps later, the Ty Gibbs chaos occurred.
Despite the distraction, Keselowski’s pit crew recovered quickly, and Brad kept himself in the fight. He climbed to the top 10 by lap 82 after making a strategic pit call and had some fierce mid-wheel-to-wheel action, including a turn 7 incident with Alex Bowman that sent the latter wide. The contact didn’t draw a penalty, but it showed Brad’s commitment to gaining every inch on the tight, technical road course.
Ultimately, Brad settled for P11, a respectable finish considering where he started and the adversity he faced. While not the top five he might have hoped for, it was a solid points day that kept RFK Racing in the playoff conversation. The pit altercation may have stolen headlines, but Brad’s determined drive quietly underscored his resilience on a track that rarely forgives.
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