NASCAR: ‘Jesus’ shows up to Martinsville looking for Ty Gibbs

After Ty Gibbs made some interesting comments on Saturday, a person dressed as Jesus Christ showed up at Martinsville Speedway looking for the polarizing NASCAR driver.

We have officially reached the part of the NASCAR season where very little of anything that happens was on anybody’s Bingo card before the year began.

The fact that there was an individual dressed as Jesus Christ searching for Ty Gibbs in the pits at Martinsville Speedway might very well be the best way to illustrate that.

Gibbs found himself in the spotlight again after yet another controversial on-track move in Saturday’s Xfinity Series race at Martinsville Speedway.

Gibbs had already qualified for the Championship 4, yet he wrecked teammate Brandon Jones out of the lead to win the race, eliminating Jones from championship contention.

Instead of Ty Gibbs Racing (as some now call it) having two drivers in the Championship 4, they now just have one, while JR Motorsports have three.

After the race, boos and chants of “Thank you, Grandpa!”, among other things, rained down on the 20-year-old Charlotte, North Carolina native from the grandstands as he celebrated the win on the front straightaway of the four-turn, 0.526-mile (0.847-kilometer) Ridgeway, Virginia oval.

He was later asked about his take on this reaction from the fans and proceeded to compare himself to Jesus Christ.

“I always go back to the same [Bible] verse that Jesus was hated first, and among all the people. That’s a part of it,” he said to Claire B. Lang on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Needless to say, this comment drew additional criticism. It effectively came across that Gibbs, who has never been shy about promoting his Christian faith, was merely hiding behind his religion to try to justify another ill-advised on-track maneuver.

Many often accuse Gibbs of hypocrisy, suggesting that he merely talks the talk and plays the “holier than thou” card when convenient, and this latest biblical reference even led some to call it an act.

But one individual took a more interesting approach, dressing up as Jesus, crown of thorns and all, and walking through the pits before the race with a “Looking for Ty Gibbs” sign.

You simply can’t make this stuff up.

Gibbs is set to compete for the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship against JR Motorsports teammates Noah Gragson, Justin Allgaier, and Josh Berry this Saturday, November 5 at Phoenix Raceway. The Championship 4 race is set to be broadcast live on USA Network beginning at 6:00 p.m. ET. Begin a free trial of FuboTV now and don’t miss it!