Ty Dillon finds hope at Talladega "in one of the toughest seasons"
It’s been a long, difficult season for NASCAR Cup Series driver Ty Dillon but once again he found some solace in a restrictor-plate race.
Dillon, the 26-year-old grandson of NASCAR owner Richard Childress and driver of the Germain Racing’s No. 13 Chevrolet, hasn’t enjoyed much success this year, his second fulltime season with the organization.
Three of his four best finishes this season have come at either Daytona or Talladega, including a 15th-place effort this past Sunday.
He finished 15th in the spring Talladega race, 13th in the spring at Texas and a season’s-best sixth in the July Daytona race.
Otherwise, he’s been locked out of the Top-10 this season and sits 28th in the series standings.
“Talladega has always been a strong track for me because I’m comfortable with this style of racing. This was the kind of day our team needed after a couple of tough weeks,” Dillon said after the race.
“We ran up front, earned a bonus point at the end of Stage 1 and showed once again that Germain Racing builds fast superspeedway cars. I wish we could’ve gotten a top 10, but those are the breaks sometimes at these tracks with how quickly drafts change and cars move around.”
A frustrating season
Dillon entered the year with much optimism, especially with several organizational changes including a new crew chief in Matt Borland and other engineering staff.
Dillon admits, however, the lack of results has been frustrating.
“Where it was easy, still is easy to let doubt creep into your mind and I guess always be down. This sport can really keep you down because there is only one winner every week. Everything around it can be tough,” he said.
“I think the biggest thing is trying to just keep faith in what I believe in and keep my priorities right and that is something that I’ve learned a lot about the last couple of weeks in my life. This year and season has been one of the toughest in my life.
“I feel good about where we are going at Germain Racing (and) the way these hard times have made us progress as a team and grow. When we get those right combinations clicking we are really going to be a strong team.”
Moving over to RCR?
Richard Childress Racing recently had an opening in one of its Cup series teams and filled it with Xfinity Series driver Daniel Hemric.
Asked if going to RCR’s No. 31 team was an option if he considered, Dillon said, “RCR has been my whole life and still is. I still go to the shop I was there a couple of times this week, but Germain Racing is my career right now and I’m putting everything into that.
“Who knows what the future will hold or what it will bring, but I know what the next two years have in store for me and that is Germain Racing. That is all I can focus on right now and put 110 percent into that and I’m very excited for that.
“RCR has been my whole life it will continue to be my whole life, but in what capacity? We will find out.”
Previous article
Almirola: "It was up to me" to show I belonged at SHR
Next article
Kyle Larson's playoff hopes take hit as NASCAR issues L1 penalty
About this article
| Series | NASCAR Cup |
| Author | Jim Utter |
From the archive: Dale Earnhardt’s final Autosport interview
The death of Dale Earnhardt in the 2001 Daytona 500 shocked NASCAR to the core. At the Daytona 24 Hours, two weeks before his fatal accident, ‘The Intimidator’ shared his expectations of challenging for an eighth Cup title with JONATHAN INGRAM, in an article first published in the 15 February 2001 issue of Autosport magazine. Little did we know then what tragedy would unfold…
The lasting NASCAR legacy after Dale Earnhardt’s death
On February 18, 2001, seven-time NASCAR Cup champion Dale Earnhardt – the fearless ‘Intimidator’ – was in his element at Daytona International Speedway. While his own DEI team’s cars ran 1-2 towards the finish line, his famed #3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet Monte Carlo was playing rear gunner to block any late runs from the chasing pack. As the cars tore through Turns 3 and 4 on that fateful final lap, Earnhardt maintained the strongarm tactics that encapsulated his persona… but his actions in those moments sadly proved to be his last.
Inspired by Pitbull, the “revolution” sweeping through NASCAR
The NASCAR Cup Series is changing. Whether it be the gradual morphing out the seasoned drivers of yesterday as the next generation step up, a radical calendar shake-up featuring more road courses than ever before and the prospect of an all-new car on the horizon, stock car racing’s highest level is nearing the end of a huge facelift.
The NASCAR storylines to watch out for in 2021
This weekend's Daytona 500 kickstarts a NASCAR Cup season that promises plenty of intrigue courtesy of new owners and a refreshed calendar. Here's what you need to know ahead of the new season…
Why Kyle Larson can't blow his big shot at redemption
From a disgraced NASCAR exile, Kyle Larson has been given a chance of redemption by the powerhouse Hendrick Motorsports squad. Effectively replacing seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson is no easy billing, but Larson has every intention of repaying the team's faith...
Why Roger Penske is an American motorsport icon
In this exclusive one-on-one interview, Roger Penske reveals the inner drive that has made him not only a hugely successful team owner and businessman but also the owner of Indianapolis Motor Speedway and IndyCar. He spoke to David Malsher-Lopez.
Why NASCAR's latest second-generation champion is just getting started
Chase Elliott's late charge to the 2020 NASCAR Cup title defied predictions that it would be a Kevin Harvick versus Denny Hamlin showdown. While the two veterans are showing no signs of slowing down, Elliott's triumph was a window into NASCAR's future…
Why Kyle Larson deserves his second chance in a cancel culture
“You can’t hear me? Hey n*****” Those fateful words uttered by Kyle Larson, spoken into his esports headset on April 12, were directed at his sim racing spotter – but instead they quickly became amplified around the world via social media, including his own Twitch stream.
