A great battle in the closing laps had fans on their feet and glad racing has returned to Watkins Glen. Gibbs traded the lead with AJ Allmendinger before taking it for good with just over two laps from the finish.
“It builds a fire in me and burns week after week when I don’t win,” Gibbs said. “But that’s what keeps me working hard during the week. Trying to compose yourself in front of the whole world at 17, 18, it’s hard for other kids my age to do it, Hopefully, I’m an example and a role model to kids that are younger than me that are coming up through the ranks and learn from me.”
"It was just wonderful. To win on a track that Graham Hill, Kyle Busch, you name it have won on – Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart – it's awesome," Gibbs said. "It's just super cool. It feels like it hasn't set in yet."
“My guys worked so hard,” Gibbs said. “I’m just at a loss for words. I just feel like being in these situations helps you. Those guys look so relaxed in those situations. Kind of just learning from them. This is just wonderful. I can’t believe it. It’s just a dream come true.”
"I’m graduated from high school, so all I do is race and try to be the best at what I do," said Gibbs, who turns 19 in October. "I really enjoy racing. None of it’s work. I love going to the gym and I love running sim and watching data. Watching data kind of gets boring every once in a while, but that’s part of life being a race-car driver. I feel like the man above has blessed me with tools to make myself the best I can be."
Allmendinger held onto second place, Austin Cindric finished third, Justin Allgaier fourth and Harrison Burton fifth.
2021 SKREWBALL PEANUT BUTTER WHISKEY 200 - Results
Ty Gibbs
A.J. Allmendinger
Austin Cindric
Justin Allgaier
Harrison Burton
Brandon Jones
Noah Gragson
Jeb Burton
Justin Haley
Sam Mayer
Michael Annett
Brandon Brown
Riley Herbst
Josh Williams
Myatt Snider
Jeremy Clements
Kris Wright
Ryan Sieg
Tommy Joe Martins
Landon Cassill
Jade Buford
Daniel Hemric
Preston Pardus
Josh Bilicki
Jeffrey Earnhardt
Brett Moffitt
Jesse Little
Stephen Leicht
Timmy Hill
Joe Graf, Jr.
Colby Howard
Bayley Currey
Dave Smith
Kyle Weatherman
Michael Munley
Erik Jones
Austin Dillon
Matt Mills
Alex Labbe
Kyle Tilley
Check out the NBC Sports recap of Dustin Long:
or John Kekis of the Associated Press: