The originally scheduled 250-lap elimination race entered its third two-lap overtime with Gibbs as the leader, as he had reclaimed it prior to the last caution.
Gibbs, Jones and Noah Gragson battled three-wide for the lead on the restart and Jones got the lead off Turn 4 but shortly after the white flag was displayed, Gibbs got into the back of Jones and sent him into the Turn 1 wall.
NASCAR once again displayed the caution but since the white flag had come out, the field was frozen with Gibbs as the leader and he claimed the win, his sixth of the season.
“I feel like after I got shoved out of the way for the first time (by Jones), it was on and we were racing for the win after that,” Gibbs said. “Going into Turn 1 (on the final lap) I definitely didn’t want to clear him out, but I definitely wanted to move him. I crossed that line a little bit too much and spun him out.
“There’s always going to be people in life that are always going to hate and you can’t listen to the chatter and you can’t listen to all the opinions and thoughts. I feel like I go out here and do my job which is to race for wins. So, it’s part of life. Luckily, I get to do it at a pretty young age.”
Jones, who had to win the race to advance to the Championship 4, ended up 23rd and the last car on the lead lap.
With the win, Gibbs joins Josh Berry and Gragson as locked into the Championship 4. Justin Allgaier, with his fifth-place finish claimed the final slot. Whoever finishes highest among those four drivers next weekend at Phoenix will be the 2022 series champion.
“I assume that anybody behind me is going to give me a little bit of heck,” said Jones after the race. “And I’m gonna try to give them as much as I can, too. But never take anybody out the show. I think I’ve lost more races than I have won by just respectfully letting guys win and not pulling moves like that,” Jones said. “But time will always bring that back together there, and I think that it’ll it always come back around. So I I’m looking forward to Phoenix, man. I think that we’re going to have a shot to win that race. I felt that way the entire day today thinking, man, I’m going to get to this next round and I’m gonna go win Phoenix.”
Sheldon Creed ended up second in the race, Riley Herbst third, Gragson fourth and Allgaier fifth.
A.J. Allmendinger, who was the 2022 regular season champion, finished 16th and will not have the opportunity to win an Xfinity title before he moves on to fulltime Cup next year.
Stage 3
Following the break between Stages 2 and 3, several lead-lap cars pit with Gibbs the first off pit road. Berry remained on the track and inherited the lead.
On the restart on Lap 129, Berry was followed by Austin Hill, Sammy Smith and Jones. Gibbs lined up 13th.
On lap 162, J.J. Yeley wheel-hopped on the backstretch and spun into the Turn 3 wall which brought out the fifth caution of the race.
All the lead-lap cars pit with Jones first off pit road. Creed was penalized for speeding on pit road and had to restart from the rear of the field.
When the race returned to green on Lap 170, Jones was followed by Berry, Gibbs and Gragson.
On Lap 178, Gibbs went to the outside of Jones and reclaimed the lead.
On Lap 195, both Kris Wright and Howie DiSavino III went around in Turns 3 and 4 which placed the race back under caution.
Several lead-lap cars elected to pit with Jeremy Clements the first off pit road. Gibbs stayed out and remained in the lead.
When the race resumed on Lap 203, Gibbs was followed by Jones, Berry, Gragson and Herbst. Allmendinger restarted 15th.
After contact from Daniel Hemric, Ryan Sieg slammed into the Turn 2 wall to place the race back under caution on Lap 204.
The race returned to green on Lap 211 with Gibbs out front.
Clements, Hill and Stefan Parsons got into each other off Turn 2 on Lap 213 which triggered another caution. The race resumed on Lap 219 with Gibbs out front followed by Gragson and Jones.
More than a half-dozen cars – including playoff driver Hill – got into a pile-up in Turn 4 on Lap 220 which temporarily blocked the track.
Gibbs remained the lead when the race returned to green with 23 laps to go.
After contact with Allgaier racing for position, Allmendinger cut a tire on the frontstretch on Lap 235 and got loose in Turn 1 after which NASCAR displayed another caution.
Gibbs remained out front on the restart on Lap 242 followed by Jones, Gragson and Herbst.
Kyle Weatherman and Brandon Brown spun in Turn 1 on Lap 243 to bring out the 11th caution of the race just after Jones got around Gibbs to take the lead.
The race headed into a two-lap overtime with Jones out front, followed by Gibbs, Smith, Gragson and Herbst.
Smith took Gibbs and Jones three-wide for the lead but ended up in the Turn 4 wall to bring out a caution and send the race into another two-lap overtime. Jones led on the restart followed by Gibbs, Herbst and Gragson.
After Gibbs reclaimed the lead, Berry got spun in Turn 2 on the restart which sent the race into a third two-lap overtime. On the restart, Gibbs led followed by Jones, Herbst and Gragson.
Stage 2
Gibbs passed Allgaier with one lap remaining and held on to claim the Stage 2 win, his eighth stage victory of the 2022 season.
Allmendinger was third, Gragson fourth and Nick Sanchez rounded out the top-five.
Following the break between Stages 1 and 2, most of the lead-lap cars pit but Gragson remained on the track and inherited the lead.
On the restart on Lap 70, Gragson was followed by Rajah Caruth (who also stayed out), Jones and Gibbs.
Gibbs got to the inside of Gragson off Turn 4 on Lap 88 and moved into the lead for the first time in the race.
With 30 laps remaining in the stage, Gibbs held a small lead over Gragson as Jones continued to run third.
With 15 laps to go, Gibbs held about a half-second lead over Jones, as Berry moved to third and Allgaier ran fourth.
On Lap 106 Landon Cassill wheel-hopped in Turn 3 and slammed the wall to bring out the third caution of the race. “It’s broke,” Cassill said over his team radio.
Several lead-lap cars pit, including Jones, who was first off pit road. Gibbs stayed out and remained in the lead on the restart on Lap 113.
Allgaier powered quickly to the lead on the restart. On Lap 109 Gibbs was able to get back around Allgaier to reclaim the lead.
Stage 1
Jones held off a furious charge from Gibbs to win Stage 1.
Allgaier was third, Berry fourth and Smith rounded out the top-five.
Jones started on the pole and quickly cleared Creed for the lead.
On Lap 21, Gibbs got around Creed for second place and trailed leader Jones by almost 1 second.
Patrick Emerling wrecked Joe Graf Jr. in Turn 1 on Lap 33 to bring out the first caution of the race.
A handful of drivers elected to pit, including Gragson, but Jones remained on the track and in the lead. Gragson was penalized for speeding on pit road and had to restart from the rear of the field.
When the race returned to green on Lap 42, Jones was followed by Gibbs, Creed and Smith.
With 10 laps to go in the stage, Jones maintained a small lead over Gibbs as Allgaier ran third, 3.6 seconds behind the leader.
Hill (unapproved adjustments) and Hemric (backup car) both had to start the race from the rear of the field.