Video: Sam Mayer Sends Ty Gibbs Spinning From Lead on Final Restart

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Ty Gibbs Sam Mayer Watkins Glen finish 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series — It looked like a sure thing for Ty GIbbs, until Sam Mayer, angry about a move earlier in the race, made a lunge into the first corner, turning the No. 19 Toyota GR Supra around and relegating him to a finish of 17th.

Ty Gibbs was unquestionably the dominant driver in Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series Shriners Children’s 200 at Watkins Glen International. Heading into an overtime finish, Gibbs had led 70 laps on the day. However, on the previous restart, Gibbs roughed up Sam Mayer.

Mayer took exception to it, and on the final restart of the race, Mayer launched his car into Turn 1, and made contact with Gibbs.

It appeared that Mayer didn’t intend to hit Gibbs as hard as he did, as the No. 1 car noticeably began to wheel hop as he closed in on Turn 1, but as the two made contact, Gibbs spun from the lead, and Austin Hill would pile into it.

Here is a video of the move that took the win from Gibbs:

Here is the move that sent Ty Gibbs, the dominant driver of the day, spinning, and Sam Mayer would go on to win the race. What do you think about this one, folks?! #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/BFopgO9GaP

— Toby Christie (@Toby_Christie) August 19, 2023

As Gibbs’ hopes for the win were done, Mayer would go on to defeat Sheldon Creed for the win.

After the race, Mayer stated that spinning Gibbs was not intentional.

“I wheel-hopped it, that’s unfortunate, I feel bad for doing that obviously you don’t want to take out a Gibbs car like that – or any car like that, but yeah, just trying to get another win in the Xfinity Series,” Mayer said. “I got a lot of catching up to do, I was in there – I poked my nose in there, and that’s part of it. Fenders are fenders.”

Mayer would continue by saying it was a good thing that a NASCAR Xfinity Series-regular won the race, “Yeah, that’s an accident, but I think everyone can agree that it’s okay for an Xfinity Series regular to win this race.”

Following the disappointing finish, Gibbs called Mayer’s move a “desperation move,” but Gibbs for the most part kept his head held high.

Gibbs and Mayer were involved in a fistfight last year at Martinsville, where Gibbs bloodied Mayer’s face.

Toby Christie

Toby is the Founder of TobyChristie.com, and Editor-in-Chief of Racing America. Toby is also the co-host of The Final Lap Weekly Podcast. Additionally, he is an award-winning writer, and has followed the sport as a fan since 1993.