NEWTON, Iowa — Ty Gibbs didn’t question his crew chief’s final pit call Sunday at Iowa Speedway.
“I can’t do anything about it,” Gibbs said. “So you just run with it.”
The No. 54 Toyota team used late pit strategy, and Gibbs held off Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Christopher Bell over the final 20 laps at the 0.875-mile oval to win the first of four NASCAR Cup Series races remaining before the postseason Chase begins.
Gibbs — the 23-year-old grandson of the namesake team owner — won by 0.253 second over Bell for his second victory of the season and his career.
Both pitted with 60 laps remaining in the 350-lap race, but while Bell took four tires, Gibbs just went with two right-side tires, and came out ahead. And when race leader Ross Chastain of Trackhouse Racing pitted on the 330th lap, Gibbs took over the top spot and fought off a late charge by Bell.