Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) came into the Shriners Children’s 500 at Phoenix Raceway with supreme confidence. Just a day before, Aric Almirola had delivered a thrilling Xfinity Series victory for the team. His dramatic finish gave JGR its record-setting 18th Xfinity win at the track, solidifying its status as the most dominant team at the Desert Mile. Almirola summed up the team’s mindset after the race, saying, “That’s all we care about is winning every time.”
It was a strong statement, one that sent a clear message to every other team in the garage. The Cup Series field knew they had a battle on their hands come Sunday. And with Christopher Bell riding high on two consecutive wins, the pressure was on for JGR to back up their bold claims with another win. But as Sunday unfolded, their aggressive mindset turned against them in the worst way possible. Two of the four drivers found themselves out of the race after a huge wreck piled up multiple cars.
A disastrous end for Ty Gibbs!
It all started on Lap 99 when everyone was preparing for the green flag, as William Byron’s tire issue had caused a caution. On the restart, Ty Gibbs, Chase Briscoe, and Justin Haley all tried to squeeze into a two-car-wide space. It was a disastrous miscalculation. Briscoe’s No. 19 Toyota took a hard hit, setting off a chain reaction that collected Carson Hocevar, Riley Herbst, Brad Keselowski, Cole Custer, Todd Gilliland, Shane van Gisbergen, and Austin Dillon.
The crash was pure carnage. Hocevar, Herbst, and Haley couldn’t drive away, their races ended in the blink of an eye. While Briscoe and Gibbs tried to limp back onto the track, but the damage was too severe. Notably, the replay revealed that Haley hit Gibbs, which sent him towards the wall when Briscoe crushed him from outside to end his Shriners Children’s 500 run. Notably, amid the chaos, Joey Logano managed to sneak through on the inside, while Alex Bowman navigated the mess without damage. But for most drivers in the crash, it was a nightmare scenario.
Ride along with @Justin_Haley_ during the Lap 99 incident. pic.twitter.com/i4E4y2J243
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) March 9, 2025
This is a developing story.
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