RICHMOND, Va. - Ty Gibbs moved John Hunter Nemechek up the track on the final lap and got by to win Saturday’s Xfinity Series race at Richmond Raceway. It is Gibbs’ third victory fo the season.
Gibbs and Nemechek, both driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, dueled for the lead in the final five laps and had contact. On the final lap, Gibbs made contact with the back of Nemechek’s car and dived to his inside.
“I definitely deserve one back,” Gibbs told FS1. “I deserve it back. We’re racing for wins and they’re hard to come by, and I had to take it. ... Just got into there deep and had to bump him out of the way up the track. We’re short track racing.”
Nemechek, who finished second, told FS1: “Him and I will settle it Monday. I don’t want to say too much and get myself in trouble. Just kind of drove through. He didn’t even try to make the corner there. Racers never forget, that’s for sure.”
MORE: Race results
The 19-year-old driver for Joe Gibbs Racing has seven career series wins in 25 starts. Gibbs also this year at Las Vegas and Atlanta.
Sam Mayer placed third and won the Dash 4 Cash $100,000 bonus. He was followed by AJ Allmendinger and Riley Herbst.
Gibbs, Mayer, Allmendinger and Herbst are eligible for the Dash 4 Cash $100,000 bonus next week at Martinsville.
STAGE 1 WINNER: John Hunter Nemechek
STAGE 2 WINNER: Ty Gibbs
WHO HAD A GOOD RACE: AJ Allmendinger’s fourth-place finish gives him a top 10 in each of the first seven races of the year. He is the only driver to score a top 10 in each race this season. ... Sam Mayer’s third-place result marks his second consecutive top-five finish. ... Riley Herbst’s fifth-place finish is his third top five of the year. He had five such finishes last year. ... Parker Retzlaff placed 10th in his second career series start.
WHO HAD A BAD RACE: Noah Gragson, who was eligible for the Dash 4 Cash bonus Saturday, had brake issues and finished 21st.
NOTABLE: This was the fourth last-lap pass in the last eight Xfinity races at Richmond. ... Rajah Caruth finished 24th in his series debut. ... Derek Griffith was 26th in his series debut.
NEXT: The series races Friday at Martinsville Speedway (7:30 p.m. ET on FS1)