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[/media-credit]Ty Dillon has a long and successful NASCAR career ahead of him and as a rookie in the Camping World Truck Series there’s going to be really good days and really bad days.
Saturday in Kansas Dillon had a good day by all standards. He qualified a respectable fifth in his first CWTS race at the speedway and finished ninth. Yet afterwards one would have thought Dillon had struggled and run in the back all day.
The grandson of team owner Richard Childress didn’t have much to say about his race afterwards. He was clearly dejected, slumped over and soft spoken. Dillon made it clear that his No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet team was better than what they showed.
“Our Bass Pro Shops Chevy was fast in qualifying we had quick speed, we were really good on restarts but man, we weren’t very good on long runs,” said Dillon.
“Kind of disappointed in our run, I don’t think we should be running for eighth, just barely hanging on, we got really good equipment.”
He’s certainly right and not just because he drives for RCR, one of the best companies across all of NASCAR’s three series. Dillon inherited the championship winning trucks of older brother Austin, who took his CWTS team to the Nationwide Series after their 2011 accomplishments.
However, Ty still got the trucks, sponsor and number. He also got the pressure and the attention that comes with it. Knowing what he has under him gives Dillon a strong sense of confidence and belief of what he should be able to do and leads to disappointment with a top 10 finish.
Dillon, now fourth in points, has only competed in seven career CWTS events. He’s only led a total of two laps and has six top 10s and two top fives. Many around the garage believe he’s going to be in the thick of the championship fight as the season wages on and Dillon’s already showing he has the attitude for it.
And he’s only a rookie. Often forgotten in the discussion because Dillon doesn’t always race like one. Such as two weeks ago when he and teammate Kevin Harvick perfectly executed their raceday plan at Martinsville.
Harvick dominated the event, but made sure that Dillon stayed right behind him as the two manipulated each restart.
Dillon seemed uninterested in passing Harvick and went on to finish second at the tough paperclip. Saturday he had a much tougher time, racing in the top 10 but not a factor for the lead as he hoped to win his first CWTS race at the track he won his first ARCA race in 2010.
Unfortunately for Dillon, he has four weeks to stew over his Kansas disappointment. The truck engines don’t fire again until May 18 in Charlotte, a track that Dillon hasn’t competed on in the CWTS.
But if Saturday was any indication, Dillon’s expectations will still be there.
“I’m not going to accept it, even though it is our rookie year, I want to win,” Dillon said. “It’s a good finish, we finished in the top 10 but I want to be up front.”
