Ty Gibbs

The animosity between Gibbs and Mayer began as they battled for second behind race leader Brandon Jones coming to the checkered flag.

Mayer proceeded to walk back over to Gibbs and each shoved the other, at which point Gibbs threw multiple punches at Mayer, with at least two connecting with Mayer’s head. “We got put in a bad position there, and the only thing I’m mad about is that the 1 (Mayer) didn’t have anything or wasn’t going to get past the 16 (AJ Allmendinger) there, and then I got hit in the left rear. Mayer and Gibbs made contact off Turn 4, causing both drivers to move up the track with Gibbs bouncing into the outside wall. Mayer proceeded to walk back over to Gibbs and each shoved the other, at which point Gibbs threw multiple punches at Mayer, with at least two connecting with Mayer’s head. “We got put in a bad position there, and the only thing I’m mad about is that the 1 (Mayer) didn’t have anything or wasn’t going to get past the 16 (AJ Allmendinger) there, and then I got hit in the left rear. Mayer and Gibbs made contact off Turn 4, causing both drivers to move up the track with Gibbs bouncing into the outside wall.

Gibbs and Sam Meyer were both racing for the win and the $100,000 "Dash 4 Cash" bonus during the 2-lap overtime of the Martinsville Xfinity race on Saturday ...

"Heat of the moment type stuff," Mayer said. "We're racing for a win. Gibbs and Sam Meyer were both racing for the win and the $100,000 "Dash 4 Cash" bonus during the 2-lap overtime of the Martinsville Xfinity race on Saturday night. What started as a lot of yelling turned into an all-out brawl, with Gibbs (in the black helmet) landing several big punches. You know, hopefully, I'll learn from it." Nothing anything horrible, but it's just part of the sport."

Fireworks at Martinsville. Joe Gibbs Racing's Brandon Jones took the checkered flag at last night's Xfinity Series race at Martinsville, but it was another ...

so whatever he threw a couple punches but they were pretty weak so can’t say much about that, it’s kind of funny. We got put in a bad position there. That’s on him not me… All I did was put the bumper to him like he’s been doing for the last couple weeks to everybody. He threw a couple punches, that’s on him not me…I have no pain whatsoever. He got upset…

While it seems like sports fans have taken the lead on fighting in recent years, ...

Far from an expert in these types of matters, but it certainly seems like the advantage always goes to the more protected. While it seems like sports fans have taken the lead on fighting in recent years, every once in awhile athletes remind us that they, too, are capable of throwing hands. Longtime rivals Sam Mayer and Ty Gibbs put up their dukes on pit road following last night's NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Martinsville. Gibbs had just finished second after being overtaken on the final lap.

Ty Gibbs and Sam Mayer had a hot and cold sort of relationship all in the span of about 30 minutes at Martinsville Speedway Friday night.

Coming out of turn 4, Mayer’s car pushed the Gibbs car up and into the outside wall. Gibbs led a race high 196 of 261 laps and survived with the lead in the first attempt at an overtime finish. He was caught up in a three wide battle with Mayer, and AJ Allmendinger. All three were eligible for a $100,000 bonus being offered up by the series sponsor, which no doubt gave them a bit more motivation.

The two drivers fought on pit road after an Xfinity Series race at Martinsville Speedway, a confrontation that left Mayer with a bloody cut above his left eye, ...

We’ll be good going forward, especially at Talladega (the next series race on April 23). That’s a place where you don’t want to be enemies, so we’re gonna move on and be A-OK, keep our head down and go out try to get a win next week or next time.” I think it just built up, built up, built up and I snapped and that’s just part of it. “When I got grabbed and kind of pulled, that just led up to that moment. “I was going to go up and talk to Sam,” Gibbs, grandson of car owner and former NFL coaching legend Joe Gibbs, told NBC Sports. “I was just frustrated. Congrats to the 19 team and Brandon (Jones) for the win. Gibbs walked over to speak with Mayer on pit road, and the discussion disintegrated into a shoving match.