Toyota Racing – Ty Dillon
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes
DAYTONA BEACH (February 9, 2021) – 23XI Racing and Gaunt Brothers Racing driver Ty Dillon was made available to media via videoconference prior to the Clash and Daytona 500 today:
TY DILLON, No. 23 Root Insurance Toyota Camry, 23XI Racing (Clash)
No. 96 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry, Gaunt Brothers Racing (Daytona 500)
Have you talked much to Bubba (Wallace) about the race tonight? How are you approaching this race to learn things for him or that it’s your race?
“A little bit of both. I think selfishly see this moment as a race for me – this is my race to go and take full advantage of, especially the way that this offseason has gone. This is a great opportunity that I’m very thankful that I was awarded with from 23XI Racing. To be the first official driver on-track with Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin is a really cool thing. It’s a big moment for me personally, but this whole time that I’ve worked with Wheels (Mike Wheeler, crew chief) and the guys at 23XI – there has been a conscious effort that I’m doing everything I can to help their effort as well. Hopefully, tonight’s a good night for us.”
How much do you think running the Clash is going to help you for the race in 12 days?
“I think any on track experience definitely is going to help. I think we have a little bit of a package change compared to what we raced here last time. It’s certainly going to help. It’s going to be two different teams, two different operations and different cars. There’s going to be a little bit of a difference there, but for me personally, to knock off the rust and get some laps on the track and be in some really strong equipment is going to be great.”
How do you feel about your career at this point?
“It’s definitely a unique, confusing time for me. I felt like over the past four years I’ve done enough as far as proving myself on track and off the track as far as being able to provide a lot to sponsors, and representing not only myself but our sport and the companies that I’ve been able to represent over the years very well, and for things to shake out the way that they have was hard this offseason, but I’m a strong believer and I know that God does things in his timing in way above anything that I could have ever planned. Things are working out great. I would have never thought I would have an opportunity to race for Toyota, in general, and then to have opportunities – to be connected with Joe Gibbs Racing, Gaunt Brothers Racing. This has opened up a whole new avenue and I see it as a whole new opportunity. Some things happen for a reason. Some things don’t come. Some doors close, and I see this as a chance to catapult to the next part of my career. I want to use this as a chance to tell everybody, if you are investing in me in anyway – whether its trading cards, or whatever, you better go load up because I plan on making a big case.”
How do you view yourself and your timeline?
“I see myself as unique to everyone. I think there’s some really young guys that are still trying to figure it out, and I think there’s a lot of team owners trying to figure out if really, really young guys even work. You look at the guys winning championships, and winning races, they are in their late-30s or 40s. I still have 10 years till I get to that point. Imagine the number of races I will run in the next 10 years before I will get to my so-called prime, and I’ve already done a lot of great things in the top level of the sport. I think it’s only a matter of time. I think the focus has to – for the sake of NASCAR – get shifted off just what a driver brings as far as money, backing. That’s just a sport-wide issue that we are all working on consciously. That will get handled. I think we are doing a great job of that with the new car – to be able to kind of get the gap closed up a little bit, from just financial backing to experience and opportunity and someone who could represent and talk well, and really do well for the sport. I think things are going to move in the right direction. There’s a massive gap in our sport. There are always times, but I think you can be 19 or 44 or 45 and have a chance at a championship. I’m right in the sweet spot. I’m still growing and getting better as a father and a husband and a driver, on-and-off of the track. I think even last year. It was probably my best as far as growth on-and-off of the track. I think every year from that point will get better and better. I know I’m getting physically stronger and better every time I strap in.”
Do you think the Xfinity opportunity with Joe Gibbs Racing is your best opportunity to get your first win since 2014?
“It’s been a minute for sure. It’s been a couple years, but yes. Certainly. You get an opportunity in a Gibbs Toyota at any level, you want to take full advantage of it. I see this as a great opportunity for myself. I get four tries at it. I’m very thankful and lucky to get that opportunity, so I’m going to give it my all. No one is going to put more pressure on myself than me, but I worked really hard for this moment. I’ve grinded all off season to just try to get one ride, so I’m looking forward to the challenge. I fully believe in myself that I can get back to victory lane. I did it when I was 24, in ’14, which was a while ago. I was a lot younger than, and I’m a lot better driver – mentally, physically – then I was then, so I know I can still get the job done and probably get it done even better.”
What are your goals and expectations?
“Right now, it’s keep putting races together. I think that now that we are in Daytona the racing is starting to happen and I can start letting a little bit of performance speak for me, as well, as conversations off of the track continue. I want to continue to put races together. There are great opportunities out there. I’m very thankful for all of the opportunities that Toyota Racing has helped me with so far. Hopefully, those continue to grow. I certainly want to get back to track, full-time in the Cup Series again, hopefully, next year. Right now, I have the first two races going in the Cup Series, and I’ve got four so far in the Xfinity Series. I’m going to keep digging really hard and hopefully, you never say never, we can still keep putting races together all the way through the year. Now it’s time to start getting some of the performance in there to help boost some of the stock. I know there’s going to be a lot of eyes on the sport for the first couple of shows. I’m looking forward to that opportunity.”
Do you few your opportunity with Gaunt Brothers Racing as you think these two races could help you put more together?
“Absolutely, and you guys carry weight in that too, as well as you guys report on someone like myself getting an opportunity, needing a chance, needing backing that I can go out with a team like Gaunt Brothers, who is going to put a great car behind me in the 500 and in the road course. That just spurs more interest and I think we as a group deserve more opportunities throughout the year. It’s collaboration of things. It’s certainly running well – creates that opportunity.”
I know you try to put together something full-time, but is this situation – part-time in premier equipment – a better one for you in a way?
“I think so. I think you always want to run a full schedule. You always want to be running a lot of the races, but to be able to be in the best equipment is the ultimate goal. I was watching the Senna documentary the other day and if you are not going to race to win, you shouldn’t even be doing it. I want to be a part of teams that go out and win races. I think always having the opportunity to go out and win is forefront in my mind, whether the number of races matters or not. The first thing on the check list is getting in Victory Lane and I feel like I’m with a few teams this year that have great opportunities to do so.”
How much ribbing have you given Bubba (Wallace) because you are getting in the 23 before he does? Were you given this opportunity because of your relationship with Bubba?
“Honestly, it wasn’t. It didn’t have anything to do with that. Bubba and I’s relationship has grown so much over the past year and a half. I’m proud to be a friend of his and seen how he’s handled the last year and a half and to be there alongside to check-in and make sure he’s doing alright. He’s not only done a lot for our sport, but for the country in general as far as helping to bridge the gap. He’s also brought a guy like Michael Jordan to our sport, and many more eyes. I’m really thankful for this opportunity. I haven’t really ribbed Bubba on it, but maybe after the race if I run well, I’ll flip it to him after we get through the real Daytona road course race.”
Do you think the Playoffs is a good way to decide the champion?
“The reason we went to Playoffs – or the reason anyone goes to the Playoffs – is you look at other sports. If you would have looked at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers back in November, you wouldn’t have thought they would have won the Super Bowl. Momentum changes, momentum swings. Part of being a champion in our sport is being good from February all the way to the end of the year, whether you hit your stride and you’ve made the Playoffs and the last two or three races to go – you’re still the champion, but you’ve still got to get there. I think our Playoff model is really great. I think its setup well. It’s a little top-heavy with the stage points as far as teams that can really mount up points from 15th and 16th in points to 21st – it can get really hard because of the stage points, but it does make you have to compete even harder to get yourself in a stage point position as a team, if you want to get in there and compete. If not, you have to win a race. I think we’ve got a great model. I know that the 4 (Kevin Harvick) and the 11 (Denny Hamlin) dominated all year last year, and you would have thought for sure that they were shoo-ins to go 1-2 in the championship in some order. Not many people saw the Final Four shaking out the way that it did, and then Chase (Elliott) coming from nowhere and really taking it to the championship. So are sports. We all love the Cinderella story or the last second shot. I think you got that last year. I think our Playoffs provide a very exciting format for momentum shifts at the right time.”
What are your expectations for the Daytona road course events?
“It’s so unique. Last year, at the Charlotte ROVAL, we won the stage. I didn’t think that it would have locked me in the Shootout tonight, but here we are again at another ROVAL-style racetrack, so to speak a reward race for that. I’ve always liked road course racing. I’ve always liked the challenge, the uniqueness. I think I’ve always excelled at visually learning a track quickly. When you have unique situations, I learn very quickly and typically take off very well. I always look forward to these types of races, these kind of aspects in our sport. I think it’s a great opportunity for me. I’m going to have great equipment tonight to finally kind of show what I can do. I think really the last time I had a good shot at winning on a road course was back in the Trucks, the first time ever going to Mosport, and I got taken out in the last corner by last year’s Cup champion, so I’m looking forward to having great equipment, and getting a great opportunity again this year on a relatively new road course.”
Is this your year to make a name for yourself as you breakout from the family legacy a little bit?
“I hope it’s a breakout year. I’m very thankful for Toyota and the fact of just respecting me as an individual, believing in me as a driver and a person to go out and represent their company well as well as Gaunt Brothers Racing, 23XI and Joe Gibbs Racing – to accept me in, where it might be hard for people to understand that. For me, I’m a loyal person. As long as somebody wants me to race for them, I’m going to give it everything I have until they tell me to get out. I’m very thankful for the opportunity. I’m hoping that many more come of it and I always appreciate when people respect me as an individual, as a race car driver. This is the group and the team that gave me an opportunity and I promise you I’m going to make the most of it.”
Was there anything difficult about that decision?
“It wasn’t difficult because I wanted an opportunity to prove that I could win races as race car driver personally. When there is no opportunity there, you have to challenge yourself and challenge others to take a chance on you and show them how much you want it as a driver and want to work hard for the opportunity. It wasn’t hard, because I’ve put in so much hard work. I believe in myself. I feel like I can represent any company in this sport and represent the sport as good as anybody else, and for so many opportunities to just fall apart from a two to three-month span. I thought I had a ride going into late August last year, for this year with GEICO, and everything, and it all came tumbling down. When you’ve had a sponsor for four years as big as GEICO that sponsors all of the races, you don’t have time to talk to other sponsors or other companies just to get an opportunity for this year. For Toyota and Gibbs and 23XI and Gaunt Brothers to take an opportunity – that means a lot. In a time that most owners are just looking for money, they really took a good chance on me and I really appreciate them bringing me in.”
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