Martinsville Speedway has a way of revealing a driver’s true character. Under the bright lights and the weight of championship stakes, drivers lose patience and make decisions in an instant. No one knows that better than Brandon Jones, who found himself at the center of controversy in the 2022 Xfinity Series playoffs. He was one lap away from securing a Championship 4 spot when his then-teammate, Ty Gibbs, decided otherwise.

Jones had taken the lead in overtime, fending off his competitors in a race that had already seen multiple restarts. But as he entered Turn 1 for the final time, Joe Gibbs’ grandson slammed into his rear bumper, sending him hard into the outside wall. The impact crushed Jones’ hopes of a title shot and sent the crowd into a frenzy of boos. Jones, stunned and frustrated, didn’t hold back in his post-race remarks. “I know Ty enough to where I know he doesn’t care about what he did,” he said.

As Gibbs celebrated his win with zero remorse, the grandstands erupted in anger. He had secured his spot in the Championship 4 but at the cost of any goodwill he had left in the garage. However, it wasn’t the first time Gibbs had been at the center of controversy at Martinsville. Earlier that season, he had already embarrassed himself in another high-profile incident—one that cost him $100,000 and his dignity.

Ty Gibbs’s emotions ruined his image!

The April 2022 Xfinity Series race at Martinsville was shaping up to be another dominant night for Ty Gibbs. He had led 197 of the 261 laps and looked poised to take the victory. But late-race chaos changed everything. In the second overtime, Gibbs lost control of the bottom lane, opening the door for teammate Brandon Jones to take the lead. That left Gibbs and Sam Mayer fighting for second—and more importantly, for the $100,000 Dash 4 Cash prize.

However, Mayer pushed a little hard to earn the extra prize money. He used the bumper on Gibb’s No. 54 car in the final corner, trying to muscle past him. But things went sideways. Landon Cassill joined the battle, and Gibbs was the one who had to taste the bitter end of the stick. Well, he got his share of payback when he tracked down Mayer on the next corner and gave a food bump not once but twice.

Well, in the end, neither Gibbs nor Mayer got what they wanted; Mayer finished fifth. Gibbs limped home in the eighth. Neither got the money. But what followed was pure mayhem. After the race, Gibbs tailgated Mayer down pit road, then stormed over to confront him. Mayer took of his helmet and was challenging the JGR driver to do the same. It started with the war of words, and soon, the punches started to fly.

While talking, Gibbs pushed Mayer and got the same in return. That’s when Gibbs lost control. He threw multiple punches, connecting with Mayer’s face before crew members and NASCAR officials broke up the brawl. The scene was a disaster for Gibbs. Fans in the stands rained boos down on him. NASCAR was furious. A NASCAR official got hurt in the melee and was left on a stretcher. NASCAR’s top brass dragged Gibbs and Mayer to the hauler for a stern talking-to.

After the fight, Joe Gibbs’ grandson tried to downplay the incident. “I was just frustrated. It just built up, and I snapped,” he told reporters. However, fans and fellow drivers saw a troubling pattern. Gibbs had spent the season racing aggressively, moving competitors out of the way whenever it suited him. But when the tables turned, he couldn’t handle it. Mayer summed it up best: “He walked up to me with his helmet on, so obviously he was scared about something. I put a bumper to him for 100 grand and he got upset about it. He’s been doing that to everyone else for a couple of weeks.”

It was a brutal call-out. Gibbs had thrown punches while protected, while Mayer stood there defenseless. It made him look weak. And all for what? He didn’t win the race, he didn’t get the money, and he made himself the villain of the night. However, if this had been a one-time incident, maybe Gibbs could have moved on. But just a few months later, he did it again—this time to his own teammate in the playoffs. The same kind of selfish, short-sighted aggression that cost him $100,000 in April cost Brandon Jones a championship shot in October.

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Gibbs’s struggle for respect continues in the Cup Series!

Three years later, Ty Gibbs is still searching for redemption. Now competing in the NASCAR Cup Series for Joe Gibbs Racing, he has struggled to find consistency. Through the first six races of 2025, he has managed just one top-20 finish and has yet to lead a single lap. Analysts have taken notice, with veteran crew chief Larry McReynolds pointing out his lack of performance.

“Not only does he have just one finish inside the top 20, but he hasn’t scored a single stage point. When they unload the race car, it’s not there on Saturday, and it’s not there on Sunday,” he said. For a driver who once dominated the lower series, it’s been a humbling stretch. And as NASCAR heads back to Martinsville for its first short-track race of the season, it’s a reminder of how much things have changed.

As the Cup Series returns to Martinsville this weekend, Gibbs faces another test. The paperclip-shaped short track has been the site of his most infamous moments, and fans haven’t forgotten. But this time, he has an amazing opportunity to turn things around. A strong performance at the iconic venue will surely change the fate of Gibbs’s struggling season. But can he and Joe Gibbs make it happen?