Yahoo Autos Gibbs dominates All-Star Open, Wallace and Gragson advance
Ty Gibbs led every lap en route to winning the NASCAR All-Star Open to advance into Sunday night’s All-Star Race.
Gibbs will be joined by Bubba Wallace, who finished second. The top two finishers from the All-Star Open advanced into the All-Star Race.
“We were pretty good,” Gibbs said. “I feel like we were pretty solid, so it’s good to make it. It’s good to see Bubba make it, too, so hopefully we can go and win it. I think [Michael] Waltrip did it once, so it’d be cool to go win a million bucks and go buy some sprint cars or something.”
Ty Gibbs and Bubba Wallace race their way into the #AllStarRace at North Wilkesboro! pic.twitter.com/sBxVQqHRbz
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) May 19, 2024
Josh Berry finished third and Justin Haley finished fourth. Noah Gragson finished fifth and was announced as the fan vote winner.
The All-Star Race field will have 20 drivers, with the additions of Gibbs’ and Wallace’s Toyota XSEs and Gragson’s Ford Mustang Dark Horse.
“We came from the back last year,” Wallace said. “So let’s do it again.”
There were two cautions in the 100-lap All-Star Open. Gibbs started from the pole and held the lead through the only pit stop when most of the field switched from the primary to the option tire.
The mandatory four-tire pit stop came at the lap 50 break. Gibbs, Alex Bowman, and Wallace were the first three drivers off pit road.
Austin Cindric was the cause of the caution on lap 59. He was caught in the middle of Carson Hocevar and Noah Gragson coming off Turn 4, severely damaging his Ford Mustang Dark Horse.
Gibbs maintained control of the race off the restart with 36 laps to go, and Wallace moved into second place. Bowman began to fade after being moved by Berry for third place. Bowman finished sixth.
Chase Briscoe finished seventh, Ryan Preece, eighth, Austin Dillon, ninth, Carson Hocevar, 10th, Kaz Grala, 11th and Corey LaJoie, 12th.
It’s the second straight year Gibbs transferred into the All-Star Race from the Open. For Wallace, it’s his fourth appearance in the All-Star Race. Gragson makes the race for the second consecutive year as the fan vote winner.
“I appreciate all the fans; you guys [rock],” Gragson said. “We didn’t quite have what it took there in that race but you fans pulled through. Your support means everything.”
