From gasping, “I’m a little in shock,” Ty Dillon has now reached the peak of his confidence. That is because the Kaulig Racing driver is vying for a championship. Although that is not your usual Cup Series or other series titles, it carries immense weight, nonetheless. Through the last four races, Dillon has been untouchable as he broke all plot armor to fight his way to the final showdown of NASCAR’s In-Season Challenge.
The AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400 witnessed rain delays and Denny Hamlin’s climb to his season’s fourth victory. However, fans were enthralled by another parallel storyline unfolding alongside. It bust open the final opportunity for a million-dollar jackpot, which Ty Dillon now almost reckons as his own. It’s going to be Ty vs. Ty in Indianapolis!
Ty Dillon is ready for the final run
Well, it has been a rollercoaster ride so far. Of the 32 drivers initially eligible for NASCAR’s Bracket Challenge, only two are remaining. Among those two, Ty Dillon had the most thrilling Cinderella story. From toppling 56-time Cup Series race winner Denny Hamlin in Atlanta to making a late race nudge to move away from Alex Bowman in Sonoma, Dillon has been on a roll.
He continued that charge at Dover Motor Speedway, where he stayed ahead of his rival John Hunter Nemechek. Dillon lost his lead briefly after the green-flag pit stops, but the red-flag delay due to rain played well into his hands. Eventually, a crash gave a huge advantage to Dillon, and he passed into the in-season tournament final round with ease.
After finishing 20th in Dover, Ty Dillon was ecstatic as John Hunter Nemechek finished just one spot behind in 21st. Dillon entered the tournament as the worst seed, the No. 32. Now, Dillon advanced to the Champion’s round in NASCAR’s in-season challenge. And the ecstasy was audible in his voice as he hollered over the radio: “WE DON’T QUIT, BOYS! We don’t quit! Man, God is good all the time! That is cool! That worked out just right! Man, that’s cool.” Dillon further reflected on his golden luck so far: “It feels good. I’ve been an underdog for a long time now. It’s hard to say we’ve lucked into it. All we can do is put pressure on them and execute at the right time.”
Ty Dillon is going to the Champion’s Round in the In-Season Challenge. He and Ty Gibbs will go head-to-head for $1 million next week.
“WE DON’T QUIT, BOYS! We don’t quit!”
“Man, God is good all the time! That is cool! That worked out just right! Man that’s cool.”
— Steven Taranto (@STaranto92) July 20, 2025
For the final round at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Ty Dillon is paired up with Ty Gibbs. The clash of the two Ty’s is going to be epic, as the other Ty also has had a rocky road so far. Joe Gibbs’ grandson started the season on a dismal note, but the bracket challenge fired him up. Since Michigan, he has been on a top 20 streak, and he continued that in Dover. Gibbs had to face Tyler Reddick, and the latter had an advantage over him until a competition caution on lap 35. In the second stage, Gibbs held a lead over Reddick and eventually used the late-race restarts to remain in the front. Gibbs finished 5th, 7 spots ahead of Reddick – hence, Dillon is going to have his work cut out for him.
Although Ty Dillon thrilled his fans and fellow drivers yet again, one peer was not so happy with him.
Calling out a reckless driver
The encounter between Denny Hamlin and Ty Gibbs is nothing new. The two clashed against each other during the Bracket Challenge first round in Atlanta. Hamlin was taken out in a smoking crash while Dillon made it through safely. What is more? Dillon used Hamlin’s savage ‘I beat your favorite driver’ against him. Although Hamlin accepted that jab, he was left a little frustrated in Dover.
After a green-flag pit cycle, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver could not get around Ty Dillon, trying to put him down a lap. At that time, the No. 10 Chevy was racing John Hunter Nemechek and trying to remain on the lead lap, or at least as the Lucky Dog. Hamlin did not like getting sandwiched in the battle for the million dollars, which he lost in the first round.
During the rain delay in Dover, Denny Hamlin called out Ty Dillon’s Cinderella run. He said, “Yeah, I mean, he’s battling for 24th and to win his matchup again. So, yeah, you know, I get it. That and the Lucky Dog and all that stuff. So, that’s just you know, me not thinking about his big picture. Which I really don’t care. Yeah, it all worked out, but certainly it was kind of an inopportune time there, and it cost us the lead and then that spot. But you know, we got it back and no problem.” Eventually, Hamlin ended up winning the race, his third victory at the 1-mile high-banked Monster Mile.
For sure, Ty Dillon has left his rivals chafing after persisting in the million-dollar challenge. Now we can only wait and see if Cinderella will live happily ever after or not, in Indianapolis. Who do you think will take home the $1 million prize? Let us know in the comments!
The post “We Don’t Quit!” – Ty Dillon Busts Open the $1,000,000 Bracket as NASCAR’s Cinderella Story Continues appeared first on EssentiallySports.
