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Defending Xfinity champion Ty Gibbs finished on the podium on his return to the series on Saturday, March 25. He took home a third-place finish in his first race since being crowned the Xfinity champion last November.
The #19 Monster Energy Toyota GR Supra driver finished fourth in the first stage and eighth in the second stage. The Cup Series regular termed his part-time drive in the Xfinity Series as a 'fun time' in a post-race interview.
The 20-year-old described his race saying:
"We had a really fast Monster Energy Toyota GR Supra. It was about as fast as Xfinity 10G. We were just a little bit too loose all day. It was an okay finish – we will take it. I’m happy to be back racing in Xfinity Series – it’s a fun time. Hopefully we can go get them tomorrow."
Gibbs termed his podium finish as an 'okay finish', as the two other Cup Series drivers finished ahead of him. Pole-sitter AJ Allmendinger pipped William Byron for the race win. Allmendinger took his 16th Xfinity win, driving the #10 Celsius Chevrolet for Kaulig Racing.
William Byron, meanwhile, piloted the #17 Chevrolet Camaro for Hendrick Motorsports, finishing second. The #17 car has failed to win a race whilst finishing on the podium on various occasions.
For Ty Gibbs, the Xfinity race was extra track time as he now focuses his efforts on the main race on Sunday. Gibbs next lines up 17th for the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas.
Ty Gibbs continues the good form for the #19 car
Ty Gibbs added to the success of the #19 car which has now made three trips to the podium. The third entry fielded by Joe Gibbs Racing resulted in three consecutive top-three finishes after Gibbs secured a podium finish.
He was the fourth driver to take the wheel of the #19 car in the current season. Previously, Matt Snider, Joe Graf Jr., and Ryan Truex have driven the car. The four drivers have shared the car in the first six races of the season.
Matt Snider made the first entry at Daytona International Speedway, finishing fifth in the race. Joe Graf Jr. followed, making two entries at the Auto Club Speedway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway, finishing 11th and 15th respectively.
Ryan Truex piloted the #19 car at Phoenix Raceway and the Atlanta Motor Speedway, delivering a podium finish on both occasions. He finished second in Phoenix and followed up with a third-place finish in Atlanta before handing the wheel to Ty Gibbs.
Gibbs finished on the podium in his second start at the Circuit of the Americas. Joe Gibbs Racing has not yet announced the reigning champion's schedule for the rest of the season.
