By Deb Williams | Senior Writer
RacinToday.com

BRISTOL, Tenn. – Ty Gibbs could easily be nicknamed “Mr. Unstoppable”, having won 10 of 18 ARCA Series races this year, but at Bristol Motor Speedway Thursday night he shared the Joe Gibbs Racing onslaught with Sammy Smith.

The 18-year-old Gibbs led every lap in the Bush’s Beans 200 while Smith finished 2.431seconds behind him. However, Smith’s runner-up finish gave the 17-year-old driver this year’s ARCA Menards East Series championship.

“This is an awesome night for the organization,” Gibbs commented. 

Throughout the eight-race season consistency was the key for Smith, who recorded three victories and finished outside the top five only once. He also earned one pole.

 At the conclusion of Thursday night’s 200-lap race, the JGR drivers executed a nose-to-nose burnout to celebrate their respective victory and championship.

Smith noted he and Gibbs were friends off the track and Gibbs had helped him throughout the season. 

“We’re on iRacing every night competing against each other,” Smith said. 

Unlike Smith, Gibbs has two races left in his ARCA Menards season, but the teenager appears unstoppable in his championship bid. He has led 1,438 of the 2,315 laps he has run this year. His average start in 18 races has been 2.1and his average finish 3.1. Overall, he has completed 2,315 of the 2,330 laps run in the ARCA Menards Series this season for a 99.4 percent completion rate. Yet, Gibbs doesn’t have difficulty maintaining reality about the sport’s difficulty and staying grounded.

“I’m nowhere near Kyle Larson’s number of victories,” Gibbs, who also has won three NASCAR Xfinity races this year, said with a grin.

Larson is considered one of the most talented race car drivers in America. During his career he has amassed more than 250 victories across NASCAR, ARCA, Sprint Car, Midget, Silver Crown, Late Model and Sports Car.

The next ARCA race is Oct. 2 at Salem (Ind.) Speedway. The season concludes Oct. 23 at Kansas Speedway.

 

No Comment