Ty Gibbs tops Ryan Blaney in OT at Bristol for first NASCAR Cup win
Ty Gibbs finally became a Cup Series winner Sunday at NASCAR's toughest short track. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver stayed out in his No. 54 Toyota for track position, then won his first career Cup race by nipping Ryan Blaney in overtime at Bristol Motor Speedway, taking the Food City 500 in Bristol, Tenn.
In the series' eighth race, Gibbs' small lead evaporated when Riley Herbst created the ninth caution with four laps left to force the green-white- checkers overtime. Gibbs restarted in the preferred high line and denied Blaney's No. 12 Ford by 0.
055 seconds to win at the Cup level for the first time in 131 career starts, becoming the most recent driver to claim his first career checkers at Bristol since Kurt Busch in 2002 for Roush Racing. In his fifth season, the 23-year-old driver immediately thought of his late father, Coy, who passed away at 49 in 2002. He later gave his mother, Heather, the checkered flag.
"I'd love for my father to have seen this, but I know he knew it was going to happen and expected it as well," said Ty Gibbs, who was stellar with 12 victories in 66 starts in the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series. "What a great day. " Added team owner Joe Gibbs, Ty's grandfather and Coy's father: "This is one of my best experiences.
… I know Coy is probably watching. " Without a win at Bristol, Blaney was dominant in the latter half of the race but slipped up in the low groove before the late caution and could not get the run he needed in overtime. "Fun day.