Donuts are not always sweet. This was the theme of the recent Xfinity race at Sonoma Raceway. The race climaxed with Shane van Gisbergen (SVG) claiming the checkered flag. A highlight of the race was Joe Gibbs Racing’s Ty Gibbs’ impressive run, leading laps and showing dominance until a multi-car crash marred his day. This crash, triggered by Gibbs’ teammate Chandler Smith, led to Gibbs’ dramatic exit from the race.

Amidst this chaos, SVG managed to secure a victory, further cementing his prowess in the series. Now, attention turns to the repercussions of Gibbs’ actions on the track and the criticism from Bubba Wallace’s camp.

A strong start and controversial finish

Ty Gibbs started the Xfinity race at Sonoma with a bang. Gibbs was leading multiple laps and even overtook the Supercars champ, Shane Van Gisbergen, to claim Stage 2. Remember that SVG was the polesitter that day. However, the race took a dramatic turn during the final stage.

However, things took a turn for the worse toward the race’s conclusion. After a botched pit stop, Gibbs found himself in the mid-pack, a dangerous position during the high-stakes final stage. It was then that disaster struck. Attempting to navigate the chaos of a 14-car pileup triggered by Jeb Burton’s contact with Chandler Smith, Gibbs’ frustration culminated in a series of reckless actions.

This included executing donuts on the track. This temper-ridden action resulted in severe damage to his vehicle and teammate Chandler Smith’s car. Despite this, Smith managed a commendable seventh-place finish, while Gibbs, plagued by the consequences of his actions, finished 35th.

In the aftermath, Door Bumper Clear’s Freddie Kraft, spotter for Bubba Wallace, and Brett Griffin discussed the incident in detail. “It was interesting to say the least,” said Freddy. “Ty was in position to win the race. When I went back and watched the replay… Ty was just… obviously he’s frustrated, and we’ve seen this before with Ty.” He added, “It looked like a little temper tantrum,” echoing the sentiment that Gibbs’ actions were driven by frustration and a lack of composure.

This isn’t the first time Gibbs has been involved in such controversies. His actions on the track, especially when things don’t go his way, have been a topic of discussion among NASCAR insiders and fans alike. This incident at Sonoma must have helped him gain more haters in the NASCAR world.

History of heated moments

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Lately, Joe Gibbs’ grandson has been famous for two reasons. One for being the grandson of Joe Gibbs and the other for his temperament issues. One notable incident occurred at Martinsville Speedway back in 2022 when Gibbs spun his teammate Brandon Jones out of the lead. All the while knowing that Jones needed a win to qualify for the Xfinity Series championship.

Another significant incident involving Mr. Donut is the one involving Sam Mayer at Martinsville. After losing out on a $100,000 Dash4Cash race bonus due to Mayer’s aggressive driving, Gibbs retaliated by running into Mayer’s car on pit road! Something he should have probably done on the track. The situation escalated to physical blows, resulting in a $15,000 fine for Gibbs.

It does appear time and again though that the 2022 Xfinity champion does realize his mistakes. In his post-race interview after Sonoma 250, Gibbs sounded apologetic. Gibbs remarked, “I think we need to make some adjustments to be a little bit tighter in the sweeping sections, but I just made a mistake and took us out of this day. There are some spots where the wall kicks out just because it’s not perfectly round with the way the temporary walls are. I just made a mistake and hit them.”

However, the question remains: will Ty Gibbs be able to curb his impulsive tendencies and channel his talent constructively, or are we likely to see more of these “temper tantrums” in the future? Can Gibbs restrain his temper and keep his love for Donuts off the race? Probably his grandfather needs to take him to Dunkin Donuts more often.