Ty Dillon will move over to Toyota in 2021 after spending the entirety of his career with Chevrolet. Dillon will attempt to make the Daytona 500 with Gaunt Brothers Racing after the two announced Bass Pro Shops and Black Rifle Coffee Company will sponsor him in “The Great American Race.”
The 28-year-old driver from Welcome, North Carolina will also attempt races in the No. 54 Toyota Supra for Joe Gibbs Racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. This could be a great opportunity for Dillon to revive his career and land a great ride for next season.
However, with a new Toyota team in the NASCAR Cup Series, Ty Dillon and his new-found relationship with Toyota could lead to a full-time ride with 23XI Racing in 2022.
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Ty Dillon will race the Clash at Daytona for 23XI Racing in 2021
It was announced on Wednesday afternoon that Ty Dillon will race in the 2021 Clash at Daytona for 23XI Racing due to Bubba Wallace’s ineligibility. It will mark the first race for 23XI Racing as Michael Jordan enters into NASCAR for his first season.
Dillon has been full-time with Germain Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series since 2017, but they ironically sold their charter and race shop to the team he will race for at the Clash at Daytona. Dillon has four career wins combined between the Xfinity and Truck Series.
Dillon finished 20th at the Daytona Road Course last summer, where they will be racing next Tuesday’s event. However, he had a fast car and was able to pass some of the best cars in the sport during Stage 1 of the race.
He will have way better equipment than he did that weekend with 23XI Racing. However, with it being a new team, a finish in the front half of the field may be a great result for him. Dillon will be sponsored by Root Insurance for the race.
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Will Ty Dillon’s relationship with Toyota lead to a full-time ride in 2022?
Ty Dillon’s new relationship with Toyota could be one of the best decisions of his career. Dillon has expressed his want to create his own brand and stray away from Richard Childress Racing and the “silver spoon” narrative that has been there throughout his whole career in NASCAR.
That’s exactly what Dillon will be accomplishing as he takes that next step toward relevancy again. He will be among a select few of drivers to run in Joe Gibbs Racing’s “All-Star” No. 54 Toyota Supra in the Xfinity Series. Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr., and Ty Gibbs are the other drivers who will be behind the wheel this season.
The fact that Dillon will be a part of a group like that shows what Toyota thinks of him. The manufacture could have put one of their NASCAR Truck Series drivers like John Hunter Nemechek in the car, but they decided to not go that route.
Denny Hamlin and 23XI Racing didn’t need to run the Clash at Daytona, but they are doing it to gain repetitions for the upcoming races this season. Picking Dillon shows they could have trust in the driver and believe he can possibly give them very crucial information to help the new team.
While it is only a preseason race, Dillon’s move to Toyota may already be paying off. There’s a possibility this could turn into a full-time ride, as 23XI Racing has hinted at possibly expanding in the sport really quickly once the NextGen car comes out.
It’s up to Ty Dillon to make the best of the opportunity, but Toyota is giving him what he needs to succeed with the manufacture.