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MARTINSVILLE, VIRGINIA – APRIL 07: Dale Earnhardt Jr, driver of the #88 Hellmann’s Fridge Hunters Chevrolet, prepares to practice for the NASCAR Xfinity Series Call 811 Before You Dig 250 powered by Call 811.com at Martinsville Speedway on April 07, 2022 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
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MARTINSVILLE, VIRGINIA – APRIL 07: Dale Earnhardt Jr, driver of the #88 Hellmann’s Fridge Hunters Chevrolet, prepares to practice for the NASCAR Xfinity Series Call 811 Before You Dig 250 powered by Call 811.com at Martinsville Speedway on April 07, 2022 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
Earlier, Ty Gibbs crossed the finish line at Phoenix to win the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity title. However, any joy that he felt quickly came crashing down when news broke of his father, Coy Gibbs, passing away. So, what should have been the best day of his life, quickly turned into a nightmare. Interestingly, Dale Earnhardt Jr’s manager Mike Davis admitted that this entire scenario could be a blessing and not a curse.
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He said, “I hope and pray that this weekend at Phoenix, for Ty Gibbs. That he looks back on it as a blessing and at the final hours with his dad, was this enormous elation. Not a curse, where you can’t ever go back and look at the Phoenix championship and think positive thoughts about it. That’s something that will manifest in time.”
READ MORE: Ty Gibbs Credited for Not Giving Dale Earnhardt Jr’s Driver Chance at Kyle Larson-Bubba Wallace 2.0
Is it really a blessing for Ty Gibbs?
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What Davis means is that this kind of experience makes Gibbs more human. In a sense, the driver would have truly cherished his time with his father. Furthermore, he gave Coy Gibbs a reason to smile and be proud of him. Ty Gibbs would have definitely needed this, especially on the back of a lot of criticism.
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TALLADEGA, ALABAMA – OCTOBER 01: Ty Gibbs, driver of the #23 Monster Energy Toyota, walks the grid during qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on October 01, 2022 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
Davis continued, “No telling right now, but I just hope that that 24 hours. If you want to go out, go out with your son, having just won a championship. Whatever celebratory things they might have done, that’s something to be positive about, and I hope that that’s what happens with Ty.”
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Gibbs has garnered a fair bit of negative press over the course of the 2022 season. Last year, he was seen as a young rising star, with a handful of Xfinity Series wins under his belt. However, the driver has annoyed a number of peers with aggressive tactics, and not any have forgotten his brawl with Sam Mayer.
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