Noah Gragson holds off Ty Gibbs for Xfinity win at Pocono

Noah Gragson came out on top of a compelling late-race battle with Ty Gibbs to win Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Pocono Raceway.

The battle peaked on the final lap when Gibbs got side-by-side with Gragson for the lead down the Long Pond straightaway heading into Turn 2. But on the entrance to the turn, Gibbs briefly got loose on the inside, allowing Gragson to retain the lead on the outside.

Gragson then pulled away to his third win of the season. Gibbs finished second, followed by Josh Berry in third, A.J. Allmendinger in fourth, and Sheldon Creed in fifth.

The victory comes one week after Gragson (along with Landon Cassill) was disqualified at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Gragson finished fourth in that race, but his car was found to be too low in the front during post-race inspection. He was instead credited with a 38th-place finish.

“I had to work for it. It was tough,” Gragson told NBC Sports on Saturday. “[The car was] just getting tight, tight, tight. With 15 [laps] to go, I didn’t think I could hold him off.

“But we just keep digging. This team is unbelievable. I’m fired up. Our third win of the year… Man, I’m exhausted.”

RETWEET to congratulate @NoahGragson on WINNING at @PoconoRaceway!

What an incredible battle between the @JRMotorsports driver and @TyGibbs_. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/cVXfIKTkFk

— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) July 23, 2022

As for Gibbs, he admitted that the momentarily bobble in Turn 2 was the difference.

“We both went in there side by side and I just lost my side force and got loose under him, but that’s racing,” he told NBC Sports.

“I put myself in that position. I feel like I’ll definitely have to look back and see what other options I had.”

The race was red-flagged at Lap 46 for a