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NASCAR Cup Talladega II
Ty Dillon on his NASCAR future: "My time is not up here"
Even when it became clear Germain Racing would no longer exist after this season, driver Ty Dillon said his team all agreed they would battle to the end.
Jim Utter
Published: Oct 5, 2020, 4:30 PM
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On Sunday, they collectively produced their best result in almost four seasons of working together.
As Sunday’s Cup Series race at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway entered into overtime, Dillon’s No. 13 Chevrolet was one of the few cars that had escaped relatively unscathed in a race full of big wrecks.
By the third overtime, Dillon had worked his way into fourth and as the final lap played out he found himself in a three-way battle for the lead with Matt DiBenedetto and Denny Hamlin.
Hamlin ended up winning and DiBenedetto was assessed a penalty after the race, leaving Dillon with a career-best third-place finish.
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“It feels great. I’m sure everyone is aware our team announced it’s selling and has been sold,” Dillon, 28, said. “We all promised each other when it was announced we would all give everything we had till the end.
“This was a statement for our team. I can’t thank everyone enough at Germain Racing … all the people that worked there that helped me throughout my four years here. I’m thankful for the opportunity and hopeful for the next opportunity.”
And what is that next opportunity?
Right now, Dillon doesn’t know.
He won nine races in ARCA and the 2011 season championship but similar results in NASCAR national series competition has been harder to come by.
Dillon finished a career-best second in the Truck Series standings in 2013 and has three series wins. He has one win in the Xfinity Series and finished a career-best third in the standings in 2015.
Dillon has spent most of his Cup career with Germain Racing, which has a technical alliance with Richard Childress Racing but nowhere near the resources of the series’ top organizations. In 157 series starts, he has two top-five and six top-10 finishes.
Dillon said he “absolutely” wants to continue his NASCAR career in 2021.
“I feel like I am one of the top-level drivers in the Cup Series. I just need the correct opportunity,” he said “I’ve proved that I can do it. Just a matter of opportunity.
“I absolutely want to be in the Cup Series. I feel like in the right situation over the right time I can win races, be a championship contender. My time is not up here. I definitely have a lot to prove still.
“I feel like I’m starting to reach the pinnacle of myself physically and mentally as far as a Cup driver.”
Dillon said he has no ride as yet for 2021 and knows how important it is for a driver to be able to bring some sponsorship to a new ride.
“If I have to take an opportunity to go down to the Xfinity Series, try to win races there, reprove myself, I’ll absolutely take it,” he said.
“I’m a hungry driver right now. I want opportunity next year to continue to prove what I can do, start fresh.”
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