Ty Gibbs secured his first career NASCAR Cup Series victory Sunday, holding off Ryan Blaney in an overtime thriller at Bristol Motor Speedway to win the Food City 500.
The 23-year-old driver of the No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota took the lead on Lap 486 and weathered two late restarts to win by a mere 0.055 seconds. The finish marked the closest margin of victory at the 0.533-mile short track since 1991.
“I’d love for my father to have seen this,” said an emotional Gibbs, referring to his father, Coy Gibbs, who died in 2022. “I knew he knew it was going to happen and expected it as well. My boys didn’t give up. Pit crew is just amazing. This is our family.”
The race was dominated for the first 480 laps by pole-setter Ryan Blaney and reigning champion Kyle Larson, who combined to lead 474 laps. However, a caution involving Chase Elliott on Lap 481 shifted the strategy. While Larson and Blaney opted for fresh tires, Gibbs and crew chief Tyler Allen chose to prioritize track position and stayed on the track.
Gibbs successfully defended the lead on the restart, even as Blaney’s Ford and Larson’s Chevrolet surged through the field on newer rubber. A final caution on Lap 497, triggered by a spin involving Kyle Busch and Riley Herbst, forced the race into a two-lap overtime shootout.
Blaney made a final charge on the high side during the restart, but Gibbs held his line to cross the finish line first.
“Gave it my best shot,” said Blaney, who led 190 laps. “Was close, but just couldn’t get it done. Congratulations to Ty. Nothing is more special than your first Cup win.”
Larson, who swept the first two stages and led a race-high 284 laps, finished third. Despite his dominance, Larson’s winless streak now extends to 32 races. He admitted that while his car was strong early, it struggled during the final run while Gibbs found more speed.
The victory places Gibbs in an elite group of drivers whose first career win came at Bristol, including NASCAR legends Dale Earnhardt and Rusty Wallace. It also marks the first win for the No. 54 car in the Cup Series since Lennie Pond in 1979.
The day was less successful for Alex Bowman, who was returning from a four-race absence due to a vertigo diagnosis. Bowman’s afternoon ended early after he was caught in a multi-car accident on Lap 163 involving Shane van Gisbergen and John Hunter Nemechek.
Tyler Reddick finished fourth to maintain his series points lead, while Chase Briscoe rounded out the top five.
Food City 500
Bristol Motor Speedway
Sunday, April 12
- (5) Ty Gibbs, Toyota, 505.
- (1) Ryan Blaney, Ford, 505.
- (8) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 505.
- (2) Tyler Reddick, Toyota, 505.
- (3) Chase Briscoe, Toyota, 505.
- (35) Todd Gilliland, Ford, 505.
- (20) Joey Logano, Ford, 505.
- (17) Ryan Preece, Ford, 505.
- (11) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 505.
- (10) Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet, 505.
- (12) Bubba Wallace, Toyota, 505.
- (13) Daniel Suarez, Chevrolet, 505.
- (7) Chris Buescher, Ford, 505.
- (21) Brad Keselowski, Ford, 505.
- (22) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 505.
- (9) Austin Cindric, Ford, 505.
- (23) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Chevrolet, 504.
- (24) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 504.
- (15) Zane Smith, Ford, 504.
- (6) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet, 504.
- (4) Riley Herbst, Toyota, 504.
- (18) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet, 504.
- (28) Erik Jones, Toyota, 503.
- (19) Michael McDowell, Chevrolet, 503.
- (29) Kyle Busch, Chevrolet, 503.
- (16) Noah Gragson, Ford, 503.
- (14) Christopher Bell, Toyota, 501.
- (30) Cole Custer, Chevrolet, 501.
- (32) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, 501.
- (34) William Byron, Chevrolet, 500.
- (36) Cody Ware, Chevrolet, 500.
- (25) Josh Berry, Ford, 490.
- (26) Connor Zilisch, Chevrolet, 478.
- (33) Shane Van Gisbergen, Chevrolet, 335.
- (31) John Hunter Nemechek, Toyota, 324.
- (37) Chad Finchum, Ford, 241.
- (27) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, 163.
Race Statistics Average Speed: 88.817 mph. Time of Race: 3 hours, 1 minute, 50 seconds. Margin of Victory: 0.055 seconds. Cautions: 9 for 72 laps. Lead Changes: 12 among 4 drivers.
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