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NASCAR Upholds Gibbs’ Pit Move, Teams Press for Pit-Road Rule Clarity

Veteran figures including Dale Earnhardt Jr. call for clearer pit-road boundaries before the Dover race

Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 ampm Toyota, greets fans as he walks onstage during driver intros prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway on July 13, 2025 in Sonoma, California.
Former NASCAR Cup Series driver, Kevin Harvick speaks at the Busch Light activation on the midway prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 16, 2025 in Daytona Beach, Florida.
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Overview

  • NASCAR officials ruled Ty Gibbs’ entry legal under the orange-line rule and cleared him of fault after he clipped RFK Racing’s Telvin McClurkin at Sonoma without issuing penalties.
  • Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick characterized the incident as competitive gamesmanship, while Brad Keselowski and RFK crew members flagged its potential safety dangers.
  • Dale Earnhardt Jr. urged NASCAR to meet with Gibbs and set firmer pit-road limits to reduce injury risks ahead of the next stop.
  • The clash exposed decades-old ambiguities in crew-positioning and interference regulations that rely on subjective judgments.
  • With six races remaining before the playoffs, teams and fans are demanding explicit lane markings and stricter enforcement to safeguard pit crews.