Pocono polesitter Ty Gibbs out late after engine failure

LONG POND, Pa. — Polesitter Ty Gibbs led for 21 laps and looked promising but it didn’t end that way, thanks to an engine failure Sunday at Pocono Raceway.

Gibbs took advantage of his second career pole in the NASCAR Cup Series and led the opening 17 laps. After losing the lead on lap 18 to Martin Truex Jr., Gibbs pitted three laps before the lap 30 break for the end of Stage 1, finishing 30th in the stage.

Gibbs stayed out during the break and stayed out again when the lone caution of the second stage fell on lap 54. He led four laps until Josh Berry passed him.

Like Berry, Gibbs stretched his fuel and pitted on lap 75. Again, he didn’t get the stage points he wanted – finishing 29th in the second stage – but he was on a strategy that was going to get him up front when it mattered most.

Gibbs was inside the Top 10 when he made his final stop on lap 117. His crew executed well enough to kept him there but Gibbs faltered. He had a speeding penalty that shuffled him back.

Lap 133 proved to be the final nail in the coffin. Ty Gibbs experienced an engine failure that gushed fluids out of the pipes and onto the Pocono surface, knocking him to 27th.

Mechanical trouble for the No. 54 sends Ty Gibbs behind the wall. pic.twitter.com/E5UGbMEVqr

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) July 14, 2024

Toyota still boasted the most cars finishing inside the Top-10. Their cars took four of the Top-10 spots. Without Gibbs’ engine failure, it may have been five.

Despite the trouble, Gibbs is seemingly on an upward trend. He finished third at Chicago – his first Top-10 finish since the Coca-Cola 600, six races before. He has also led three consecutive races, which ties a career-high.

At the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Ty Gibbs will have an all-new adventure. While he has raced on the road course before, he has never raced on the famed 2.5-mile oval. His performance at sister track Pocono Raceway indicates he could be in for a good debut.

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