MARTINSVILLE, Va — Brandon Jones was so close to winning Saturday’s Dead On Tools 250 Xfinity Series race at Martinsville Speedway that he could nearly taste it. Second place didn’t matter.
Jones needed to capture the checkered flag in order to punch his ticket to battle for this year’s Xfinity champion next weekend at Phoenix. His weekend started off with a bang by winning the pole.
The No. 19 car remained up front throughout the race, leading 98 laps. He won the opening stage, just his third stage win of the season.
But with a rash of late-race cautions, Jones and his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Ty Gibbs, who clinched a spot into the Championship 4 during the final stage, traded shots. One would restart in the lead, with the other choosing the inside of row two. Then, it was bumper cars.
“We were being aggressive with each other all day,” Jones said. “We were in the restarts and, not wreck him, but get into him and move him up out of the way. That’s what you have to do here to go win the race.
“I did it early, nine laps to go and the caution came out and I was like, ‘Man, I needed that to go green a little bit.’”
In the first attempt at a green-white-checkered finish, the two teammates rubbed fenders and Sammy Smith, the third JGR driver, looped around on the outside. On the next restart, another caution flew and Gibbs returned the favor, taking the lead.
On the final restart, Jones bumped Gibbs out of the way into Turn 1. The final time through Turn 1, Gibbs drove deep into the corner and dumped the No. 19 Toyota. Gibbs was credited with the win. Jones was 23rd.
What are your thoughts on Ty GIbbs' move on Brandon Jones?
Does he deserve the win? #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/B9vgL8ZZbG
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) October 29, 2022
“Getting dumped is surprising,” Jones said. “I expected to get moved around a little bit and figured I could cover it deep enough to where he could hit me square and shoot me up the track some.
“Me and Ty have always been friends, but lost all respect today. I know a lot of guys have. I’m looking forward to getting first to Phoenix and trying to win that race, but then transitioning over to JRM next year. I’m going to have a good time over there.”
Gibbs admitted to intentionally getting into Jones. But he said he didn’t mean to wreck his teammate.
“[I] didn’t want to wreck him, but I definitely wanted to move him out of the grove so I could take the win and get a clock,” Gibbs stated. “We got moved out of the way by them in the spring and lost.
“It was hard racing. I got moved out of the way and went back and moved him. I didn’t want to move him as hard as I did and wreck him, but I wanted to move him, for sure. I’m not denying that fact.”
Some of their competitors had a front row seat to all the action. Some have had run-ins with Gibbs earlier this season.
“Brandon and I are friends and I know what it would be like if I was in his shoes,” Noah Gragson, who restarted on the outside of the front row for the final restart, said. “He’s showing a lot more composure than I would be right now. But I guess you’ve got to deal with that when you’re driving a Ty Gibbs Racing — I mean Joe Gibbs Racing car.”
With the points resetting Gibbs will be racing the JR Motorsports trio of Gragson, Justin Allgaier and Josh Berry for the championship at Phoenix. With the points resetting, Jones ranks ninth in points, two markers below Daniel Hemric for eighth.
Jones had a win to his name at Phoenix in the past, when he beat Kyle Busch straight up in 2020. He believes Gibbs will have his own battle next weekend that he won’t have to intervene.
“He’s made plenty of enemies, so I don’t have to do much,” Jones added. “Eventually, it will take care of itself.”