Ty Gibbs faced no penalties for driving through Brad Keselowski‘s pit stall at Sonoma Raceway because there was no rule restricting his entry.
On the latest episode of the “Hauler Talk” podcast, NASCAR managing director of racing communications Mike Forde dissected the rules for pit stops that became a hot-button issue after an incident between Gibbs and Keselowski at Sonoma.
During a pit stop on Lap 52 just before the end of Stage 2, Gibbs‘ No. 54 Toyota clipped a tire being carried by a pit crew member for Keselowski, whose No. 6 Ford was pitting in the stall behind Gibbs.
Though Gibbs appeared to dip below the diagonal orange guidelines in each stall, Forde said those boundaries weren‘t a factor because Gibbs‘ car was pitting first. Drivers are allowed to drive through three stalls on pit stop entry (provided no cars already are stopped in those stalls).
“Ty Gibbs does not have to obey any of those (lines),” Forde said. “Those are for if a car is already in that pit box. So if (Keselowski) was in that pit box, those markings come into play, and Gibbs would have to be on the outside of that diagonal line. Because (Keselowski) wasn’t in that pit stall yet, those don’t come into play.”
Forde confirmed Gibbs‘ assertion that he had “the right of way,” noting the NASCAR Rule Book states that “in the case of two vehicles coming in nose to tail, the trailing vehicle should allow a sufficient gap” to the car pitting ahead to avoid having its crew members impede the stop for the forward car (which belonged to Gibbs in this instance). “So in other words, (Keselowski) should have given (Gibbs) a little bit more room so that things like the tire carrier getting hit wouldn‘t happen,” Forde said.
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Keselowski‘s tire carrier counted as the No. 6‘s “dual role” pit crew member allowed to each team. The dual role crew member can enter their pit stall before their car arrives, but Forde said the dual role member must remain “close to the wall,” and NASCAR determined the No. 6 crew member was too far away as Gibbs‘ car went through the stall before Keselowski‘s entry.
“So, when he got hit, we felt that it was really on him because he wasn’t close enough to the pit wall,” Forde said. “We did actually see another example where the 23 car and the 34 car had a very similar situation, and the 23 dual crew member was pretty much touching the wall, so it can be done the right way.”
Short of committing a speeding violation or making a blatantly unsafe maneuver, Forde said Gibbs essentially was allowed to drive through Keselowski‘s stall on pit entry without any restrictions.
“There was no rule that was violated,” Forde said. “If you want to penalize something, you have to refer to a rule. (Gibbs) followed every rule that’s in the rulebook. So there’s no rule to point to that says what (Gibbs) did was wrong. So, in the end, it looks a little strange, but no rules were violated, and that’s why there was no call.”
Other topics covered by Forde and NASCAR senior director of racing communications Amanda Ellis during the 23rd episode of “Hauler Talk,” which explores competition issues in NASCAR:
— How NASCAR judged the last few restarts between winner Shane van Gisbergen and runner-up Chase Briscoe.
— Why a red flag wasn‘t thrown late in the race.
— Whether Josh Berry‘s spin of Carson Hocevar was deemed to be intentional.
— The In-Season Challenge battle between Ty Dillon and Alex Bowman.
Click on the embed above to listen or search for “Hauler Talk” wherever you download podcasts to hear it on your phone, tablet or mobile device.
Nate Ryan has written about NASCAR since 1996 while working at the San Bernardino Sun, Richmond Times-Dispatch, USA TODAY and for the past 10 years at NBC Sports Digital. He is a contributor to the “Hauler Talk” show on the NASCAR Podcast Network. He also has covered various other motorsports, including the IndyCar and IMSA series.