Ty Gibbs enters the 2021 ARCA Menards Series season as one of the favorites to win the championship. Driving the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, he raced competitively against the speedy Venturini Motorsports armada at Daytona International Speedway.
He just couldn’t get his car to the front.
After Gracie Trotter pitted after suffering damage to her No. 25, Drew Dollar and Corey Heim teamed together for Venturini. In ARCA overtime, those two worked together and Heim won the Lucas Oil 200 fairly easily.
As for Gibbs, he was relegated to fourth. In a post-race interview, he appeared frustrated with the officiating as well as the Venturini commitment to win the season opener.
“We [Bret Holmes and Gibbs] were just kinda talking about the stuff that’s been happening over the past week,” Gibbs told FOX Sports 1 post-race. “It’s just frustrating when you come out here, run fourth, and you don’t have a shot to win — especially if you let your buddy in. I feel if I did that, I wouldn’t want to be out here letting people in to win the race.
“He completely gave it away there; it’s just frustrating. The way this package is, you can’t push and you can’t really get to the bumper. You’re not allowed to lock bumpers; they did and it’s just frustrating. I don’t know what to do to get ARCA to like me at this point.”
Holmes, the reigning series champion driving for a family-owned team, finished third and was in the same predicament. But Gibbs posted the fastest practice time in the lone ARCA session, appeared to have the fastest car on track with his No. 18 Toyota and was in position to move up. Instead, on the one-lap overtime, Heim and Dollar finished first and second, respectively, without any other challengers.
.@CoreyHeim3 gets it done at @DAYTONA ?
How it happened: pic.twitter.com/ewZHQK3bvt
— ARCA Menards Series (@ARCA_Racing) February 13, 2021
Dollar agreed he wanted a Venturini driver to win the race, keeping Holmes and Gibbs behind him. The Venturini team has now won four straight ARCA races at Daytona.
Drew Dollar says it wasn't clear to them that the final restart would be a green-white until right before taking the green and at that point, he was committed to making sure Venturini Motorsports won. pic.twitter.com/zi54EnHVZN
— Matt Weaver (@MattWeaverAW) February 13, 2021
Heim, meanwhile, was unaware of any team orders to ensure a Venturini car won the race.
“We had the race pretty much won without the caution,” Heim told media members in a post-race Zoom call. “All I was told to do was restart on the outside lane and give it all I got. I don’t know I was told any team orders other than start on the outside lane, hammer down and win the race, which is exactly what I did.”
Gibbs disagreed. Nonetheless, he leaves the 2.5-mile track in Daytona Beach, Fla., with a fourth-place finish, his 20th top five in ARCA.
“I’m having a fun time; I’m learning a lot which is good,” he told FS1. “I’m gonna keep grinding at it so we can go race at a real race track at Phoenix [Raceway]. I’m excited for that.”
In the inaugural ARCA race at Phoenix last year, Gibbs won the pole and led a race-high 122 laps before finishing third due to a two-lap dash to the checkered flag.
“My team is good at making sure I’m good at my switches, things set right, the seatbelt is tight,” he said. “That’s all I can really say. They did a good job, I had a fast Toyota. I guess I need some teammates and people who don’t want to win should try to win.”
ARCA Daytona Recap
While ARCA has about a month before it races at Phoenix, Gibbs will gain more seat time as he will debut in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at the Daytona International Speedway road course next weekend. In the first ARCA race there last year, Gibbs led a race-high 19 laps en route to a runner-up finish.
RACE WEEKEND CENTRAL: DAYTONA
Mark Kristl joined Frontstretch at the beginning of the 2019 NASCAR season. He is the site's ARCA Menards Series editor. Kristl is also an Eagle Scout and a proud University of Dayton alum.
I wonder what kind of cheese Ty Gibbs likes with his whine?
Never in the history of auto racing has anyone had such a sense of entitlement such as baby Ty Gibbs. Spoiled rotten.
I completely disagree Ty Gibbs is just being vocal and voicing his opinion. He’s talented and what he has to say matters. He literally just won the Xfinity series race. (His FIRST ever race in the top 3 series of NASCAR)
It is hard to learn how to race when you always have the fastest car and usually start on the pole. At the ARCA level most drivers have small team cars and they have to drive hard to get ahead. The good ones make it to the next level on skill
Silver Spoon Gibbs, his mind set shows he not the kind of person NASCAR needs, but with grandpa’s money they are going to shove him down NASCAR throat,
This arrogant punk needs a good ass whipping. Seriously, what a disgrace to his name and to what his Grandfather has accomplished.
No he doesn’t Ty Gibbs is talented and is not a disgrace. He’s just voicing his opinion.He literally just won the Xfinity series race. (His FIRST ever race in the top 3 series of NASCAR).
Dale Jarrett absolutely summed it up best.
“Someone might should remind young Ty Gibbs that his grandfather’s 1st win as an owner came on that awesome track at Daytona that he considers “not a real racetrack”! Kids”
Cry baby Ty Gibbs sounds like his grandpa’s drivers Bush n Truex. Whining cry babies. Gibbs CUP drivers drive as a team ALL the time. Until Hamlin gets tired of them holding him up.
Ty why don’t you take all yr grandpa’s money he’s dumping on yr career and quit racing and start a PODCAST, there are plenty of people who love to hear a rich kid cry about how tuff his life is.
Or shut up and drive…. you have the best equipment grandpa can buy.
What you said was untruthful and mean! Ty Gibbs is very talented and what does it matter whether he was born into a rich family.
Ty Gibbs is talented and his actions and talent will speak louder than his words. Voicing your opinion and stating what’s on your mind isn’t bad. He was so genuine in his post-race interview at the Daytona Road Course Xfinity race! Ty Gibbs is a star and there’s no doubt about it. He’s talented and will do amazing things in life. Ty also apologized for what he said. Ty is just a “kid” and has some learning to do. He just got so caught up in the moment in the ARCA race that he let his emotions get the better of him. It’s really hard when you think you can win and should win but don’t. I think that people are WAY overreacting. It was a mistake and he corrected it.
Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. are AMAZING drivers. They care about winning so much that sometimes their emotions get the better of them but they do care. The way people treat them is unacceptable. We all make mistakes and say things in the moment we don’t mean but you don’t have to insult them.
WOW, I hadn’t watched the race so when I read about Gibbs’ concern about the finish, I thought the video would show some nefarious actions by the cars in front of him. All I saw was a race to the finish. I’m afraid that “Little” Gibbs is gong to develop a reputation among fans (and maybe other drivers) as being someone who is need of an infusion of character. He seems to lack it at the moment.
Wonder how many young racers out there in America who are busting their asses off building cars and racing hard their whole life only dreaming for the chance to get to the Arca division who would have made such arrogant foolish statements. I’m not sure what end his silver spoon is sticking out of but maybe someone should give that ride to someone who is more appreciative and much more respectful of the fine men and woman who busted their asses off building his car with Joe Gibs money.
Ty Gibbs is talented and his actions and talent will speak louder than his words. Voicing your opinion and stating what’s on your mind isn’t bad. He was so genuine in his post-race interview at the Daytona Road Course Xfinity race! Ty Gibbs is a star and there’s no doubt about it. He’s talented and will do amazing things in life. Ty also apologized for what he said. Ty is just a “kid” and has some learning to do. He just got so caught up in the moment in the ARCA race that he let his emotions get the better of him. It’s really hard when you think you can win and should win but don’t. I think that people are WAY overreacting. It was a mistake and he corrected it.