“I’m a little in shock,” said Ty Dillon, fresh off his thrilling bump-and-run strategy over Hendrick Motorsports’ Alex Bowman at Sonoma, a victory that punches a ticket into the final four of the NASCAR in-season challenge. This tournament has lit a fire under the series, injecting drama and Cinderella stories into what was once business as usual.
Now, all eyes are on Dover, where Dillon reveals not just his game plan for the concrete mile but also who he secretly hopes to face if he makes it to the million-dollar final showdown.
Ty Dillon and co. are ready to do whatever it takes
When NASCAR launched the season challenge in 2025, it promised a mid-season thrill, five races, head-to-head matchups, and a cool million on the line. What emerged wasn’t just another tournament; it has become the proving ground for rising stars. Enter Ty Dillon, the No. 32 seed who’s suddenly become a force. After squeaking into the match, he survived a fiery Atlanta crash to take it, upset Denny Hamlin, locked through Chicago’s chaos to overthrow Brad Keselowski in the challenge, and then delivered his boldest move yet, using a bump and run to slip past Alex Bowman at Sonoma.
Suddenly, Dillon’s not just competing; he has commanding attention. Teams like Kaulig Racing are usually buried in the standings or basking in the limelight. Dillon’s run has made him a summer headline, showing the world what he and his crew are capable of on and off the track. Ahead of the Dover race, Dillon laid out his mindset going into Dover and beyond.
When asked what one should expect going head-to-head with John Hunter and the prospect of facing either Ty Gibbs or Tyler Reddick, Dillon was confident in his reply. “I feel good about anybody. You know, I feel like we’ve slayed some giants already. So, you know, the bigger they get, the harder they fall, and I’m looking forward to that opportunity. We’ve got to get through Dover first,” said Dillon on the Rubbin is Racing podcast.
Joining the in-season challenge, Ty Dillon has consistently climbed the leaderboard, and it shows in his season stats. In Atlanta, he snagged an impressive eighth-place finish; at the Chicago Street race, he crossed the line 20th; and then at Sonoma, he executed a bold strategy for 17th place. For the challenge, he typically hovered in the 30s in the points, and thanks in part to his top 10 in Atlanta and these strong runs, he has climbed from 32nd to around 31st in the championship standings. It’s a marked improvement that’s not only assuring his bracket performance but is also helping his regular-season momentum.
In crunching situations like these, it’s natural for teams to change their philosophies. However, about this, Ty Dillon goes on to say, “Our team hasn’t. We haven’t really talked about the in-season tournament pre-race, or during the week, or how we’re going to beat that one other car. We’ve just really honed in and narrowed our focus on doing our job, doing what we can do in terms of executing our races. And when the opportunity arises, we all know in the back of our heads, we’re going to do what it takes.”
Moreover, personality has become a big component of what has made Ty’s in-season challenge run the top of the garage. The younger of the Dillon brothers and Richard Childress’ grandsons, Ty has proven to be a great showman in his tournament, a part credit that also goes to the clever one-liners that he keeps dropping. But one thing he does not forget is showing gratitude to his team.
And then came the fun part — doing playful one-liners for John Hunter Nemechek. The host Spider had a funny bone and, trying to gain a reaction from Dillon, he suggested these to him:
“John Hunter will never see that check.”
“John hunting for a second place.”
and then came the most brutal one: “Fitting where in Dover, because I’m about to bend you Dover and [bleep] you out of a million bucks.”
And as the Kaulig Racing driver laughed in good spirit, he made it clear, saying, “I think that last one’s going to get me not showing up to Indy for the million dollars. That might be a little much. But I like the first one—it can go two ways. You know, he’s on the shorter side, so I don’t know if he can see up to the check. But we’ll see, man.”
John Hunter, who drives the No. 42 Toyota for Legacy Motor Club, has held strong in 22nd place in the cup standings, with six top 10 finishes and one top five through 20 races. A former Xfinity champion with 11 wins and 13 Truck Victories, he is a seasoned contender. At Dover, his average finish on the concrete short track is over 20th, solid but not unbeatable. And now, as Ty meets him next, it’ll be a clash of momentum and pedigree, both hungry, both capable, and both aiming for that million-dollar payday.
But more importantly, as RCR has gone through revamp changes, Ty has opened up about his chances of getting a seat on his grandfather’s racing team.
Ty Dillon opens up about working with a team that believes in him
Ty Dillon’s resurgence in 2025 is tied closely to the culture at Kaulig Racing, a team environment that has allowed him and his crew to be themselves and take ownership of the performance. While consistency remains a goal, moments like nearly winning his Duel race at Daytona and pulling off a bold strategy at Phoenix have served as evidence that Dillon can still contend when given the tools. His matchups in the in-season challenge have also amplified that competitive fire, turning ordinary races into defining moments.
He goes on to say, “Honestly, each one of these races I’ve tried to go into them as clear-minded as possible, not really thinking about the competition of beating one guy in the in-season tournament, just trying to have the best day possible.”
A decade ago, Dillon was seen as part of NASCAR’s next generation, rising alongside names like Chase Elliott and Ryan Blaney. But his cup debut with Germain Racing lacked the horsepower to match his talent, and after the team folded in 2020, Dillon became a journeyman, shuffling between part-time and lower-tier rides. During those years, the losses piled up, so did the mental toil, with Dillon even speaking publicly about his personal hardship he endured while he was trying to stay afloat.
Everything changed in 2024 with a Kaulig reset. Starting with select car races and a full-time truck series campaign, Dillon quickly realized the equipment was better than anything he had driven in years. Then it evolved into his full-time Cup ride in 2025, but he now recalls the best opportunity of his career. He goes on to express his pride towards his team, saying, “I’m having fun again. Being a part of a team that I feel like genuinely has confidence in me and my ability is building back that confidence I had when I was with a No. 1 team. To fight through what I’ve gone through and start building that confidence back, that’s why I say I feel like there’s still so much more room to go.”
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