Ty Dillon ‘finally got to be a rookie’ at Texas

[media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photography, Inc” align=”alignright” width=”230″][/media-credit]Ty Dillon was attempting to win his first career race. James Buescher was looking to win in his home state. Both their chances ended in turn one at the Texas Motor Speedway on Friday night with less than 30 laps to go.

Dillon and Buescher had been battling for the lead when they made contact. The two had been racing side-by-side for a few laps, Buescher on the outside and Dillon working beneath him, seemingly moving up into the middle groove. As Dillon attempted to drive deep into turn one in that same groove it failed to work, he got loose and ended up in the side of Buescher.

Dillon was able to save his truck as it got sideways but Buescher hit the wall. The two would continue though, just out of win contention. While Buescher came home 15th, Dillon finished seventh, adding to the new CWTS record he’s set of consecutive top 10 finishes to start the season by a rookie.

After the checkered flag flew, Buescher made contact with Dillon as the two headed for pit road. The discussion continued upon climbing from their vehicles, neither agreeing with what had happened. According to Buescher, it was still too early to be racing that hard and there wasn’t much room for the two to be racing as they were. He also said that after talking to Dillon they have a better understanding of how to race in the future, even if Dillon saw things differently.

“I guess he was real mad, he was kind of just talking in circles there a little bit,” said Dillon afterwards. “He was mad; he had the right to be. What it sounded like to me is he wanted me to move over and I just told him I’m not doing that; I’m here to win races man. It’s truck series racing it happens all the time, it’s my fault and I owned up to that, said it was my fault but I ain’t going to pull over for you and let you win the race.”

Starting third because qualifying had been rained out, Dillon remained a constant in the top 10. He led 22 of the race’s 167 laps but battled a tight condition for much it. Yet, Dillon was never far from contention thanks in part to a fast pit crew who got him off pit road in record time all night.

They did so again on lap 129, their final stop, getting Dillon off pit road first with four fresh tires. He would restart in the lead but just a few short laps later he was in the wall. Fortunately for Dillon the damage was minimal and he was able to remain on track, restarting ninth and gaining two positions before the race’s conclusion.

“It was just tough racing, I was going to win my first race and he was trying to win at Texas,” was Dillon’s explanation. “If you’re not racing hard – you’re not going to pull over for somebody and let them win the race. I was just trying things, I was in a good situation I had fast truck.”

But he wasn’t fast enough to drive away from Buescher and he admits he was searching for speed. Looking for something, anything, that would let him break free in the lead. Instead he got loose.

But said Dillon, “It’s really a credit to my team because I finally got to be a rookie and make some mistakes tonight.

“My guys pit stops were awesome, the truck was really fast, we finally got it dialed in there at the end. I hate it happened to him [Buescher], he had a great truck, I think we both had the fastest two trucks of the night there that last restart. I hate it tore up trucks but I’m not going to pull over and let somebody win, he has the right to be mad, but it’s just racing.”

Dillon remains third in points, 12 out of the lead. The CWTS isn’t back track until Kentucky in three weeks where last October he finished 18th in his CWTS debut. Dillon left feeling certain he had left a lasting impression, others knowing he was there. Now with a little more knowledge and experience, the young driver’s filled with excitement about heading back to the Bluegrass State.