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Ty Gibbs addresses his history of on-track behavior and 'crazy decisions'

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Kyle Dalton | Last updated Feb 12, 2025 11:50 PM ET

Ty Gibbs didn't start the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season off on a good note. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver was involved in a pair of incidents in the Last Chance Qualifier and failed to qualify for the exhibition Clash at Bowman Gray.

The second incident with Justin Haley was most notable because the No. 54 pilot retaliated by driving his car into the side of the No. 7. However, instead of just hitting and bouncing off the Spire vehicle, Gibbs unexpectedly got airborne and violently slammed back into the ground.

Several days later, NASCAR Cup Series Managing Director Brad Moran addressed Gibbs’ aggressive move during an appearance on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

“We know it's a tough place and there's going to be some aggression and some good short track racing, which is what we wanted,” Moran said. “But, yeah, I'll be having a discussion with Ty before we go on the track at Daytona and just get his take on what happened and make sure we're clear what we need from that point moving forward.”

On Wednesday during Daytona 500 Media Day, the 22-year-old was asked if he had met with NASCAR.

“Yeah, it has happened,” Gibbs acknowledged. “Of course I respect Brad and those guys, so our conversations are private. But, yeah, I've definitely talked to him.”

@TyGibbs talks about his conversation with @NASCAR's Brad Moran following his incident with @Justin_Haley_ in the Clash at Bowman Gray and offers an explanation for his sometimes questionable on-track behavior. pic.twitter.com/k70JCaVNea
— Kyle Dalton (@kdsportswriter) February 13, 2025

When questioned about the latest incident, his past history and previous conversations with the sanctioning body regarding his on-track behavior, the JGR driver offered an explanation.

“Of course, that wasn't my intention like I've previously said in my post-race interview," the driver said of getting airborne. "It was not my intention to do that. Of course, I was going to door him because I got wrecked out of nowhere, but it was not my intention. But I think it's been a while since I've had to go to the hauler.

"So, I'm growing up in the spotlight. I'm sure a lot of other people at 22 make a lot of crazy decisions. And I'm probably at the top of the list, but it's the part of growing up in the position I'm in."

Think back to when you were 22 and some of your questionable decisions. The only difference is they weren't on national television.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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