Dale Earnhardt Jr Points the Finger at the Mayor’s Nephew as Ty Gibbs Threw a Donut Fit in the Middle of the Track

The Zip Buy Now, Pay Later 250 at Sonoma saw several high-profile incidents. The most notable being a wreck at Turn 3 that turned the tide for many drivers. Jeb Burton, nephew of NASCAR veteran Jeff ‘the Mayor’ Burton, found himself at the center of the controversy.

Burton’s car got hooked to Chandler Smith, causing a cascading effect that took out several contenders, including Ty Gibbs. Dale Earnhardt Jr didn’t hold back his criticism, pointing the finger squarely at Burton while also highlighting the visibility issues that plagued the race. As the dust settled, another familiar story emerged – Ty Gibbs’ temper once again got the best of him.

The turn 3 wreck: a cascade of chaos

The Sonoma 250 was relatively uneventful until the Lap 50 restart, which saw a multi-car pileup at Turn 3. The incident began when Jeb Burton’s #27 Chevrolet made contact with Chandler Smith’s #81 Toyota. This collision set off a chain reaction, involving Josh Williams and several others, ultimately leading to a 12-car logjam.

Dale Earnhardt Jr reflected on the wreck on an episode of Dale Jr Download, noting the challenging visibility at that part of the track. “It’s one of the worst parts of the track visibility-wise,” he said. “When you’re coming over the hill, you can’t see if a car is sideways. You can’t lift because you’re afraid someone might be sideways, but you also can’t afford to get beaten in the next braking zone.”

At the same time, Dale Jr, the two-time Xfinity Series champion, wasn’t shy about attributing blame, stating, “My friends were immediately like, ‘That’s Jeb Burton’s fault.’ I’m not 100% sure if Jeb took any ownership of it. Everybody’s running into the back of each other. When someone’s pushing me, I can’t turn; I just keep going straight.”

The wreck was a prime example of how one small mistake can snowball into a major incident in the high-stakes environment of NASCAR. Meanwhile, Ty Gibbs was back in the spotlight for his temper issues.

Ty Gibbs’ temper tantrum: a recurring theme

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Ty Gibbs, a promising young driver, has shown flashes of brilliance but also a propensity for letting his emotions get the best of him. The Sonoma 250 was no exception. After being collected in the Turn 3 wreck, Gibbs found himself in a precarious position. Frustration boiled over as Gibbs performed a series of donuts on the track, damaging his car further and ending his race day. This wasn’t the first time Gibbs’ temper had led to issues on the track. In previous races, such as Martinsville, Gibbs had been fined for running into Sam Mayer on pit road after a heated exchange.

Reflecting on Gibbs’ actions, veteran spotter, Freddie Kraft, noted in the Door Bumper Clear podcast, “It looked like a little temper tantrum. Maybe he just had enough for that day, but it wasn’t a good look“.

Ty Gibbs has occasionally shown signs of maturity and has taken ownership of his mistakes. After exiting the Toyota at Sonoma Raceway, he made a serious confession to Frontstretch. “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.” He further added, “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.”

As the NASCAR season progresses, drivers like Ty Gibbs and Jeb Burton will need to find a balance between competitive aggression and maintaining composure. The Sonoma 250 served as a stark reminder of how quickly fortunes can change on the track and the importance of keeping a cool head under pressure.