When Austin Dillon wrapped up his 2013 NASCAR XFINITY Series championship run, he’d run two full-time Camping World Truck seasons (winning a title in his second) another two at the XFINITY level and had a ride with the sport’s most famous number – 3 – waiting for him in the Sprint Cup Series. Austin’s brother, Ty, is well on his way to his own XFINITY Series championship – in his second campaign after two full-time seasons in the Truck Series, no less – as the points leader after the season’s first nine races. Only difference is, with Richard Childress Racing’s three-car stable occupied by Austin, Ryan Newman and Paul Menard, there’s no clear option for Ty to advance to. That doesn’t mean Ty and his grandfather and RCR team owner, Richard Childress, aren’t coming up with a plan. “We’ve definitely talked about (my Cup plans for 2016) and I think it’s our goal,” Ty said Saturday at Iowa Speedway. “It’s my goal and my grandfather and I have talked about it a lot, (running) in Cup next year. Still working on things, but that’s next year. I think if we win the championship this year, it’ll make plans easier to come by.”(NASCAR.com)(5-17-2015)
UPDATE: In preparation for an eventual move to full-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series racing, Ty Dillon will increase his presence in NASCAR’s top series next year, pending sponsorship. Dillon will spend another year running for the XFINITY Series championship in 2016. He currently is second in the series standings behind leader Chris Buescher. “We’re kind of working on it now,” said Richard Childress, Dillon’s grandfather and team owner. “It sort of depends on the sponsorship and all, but we want to get him set up for the XFINITY Series next year, and if we can get him going in the Cup [Series], that’s kind of our plan.”(NASCAR Wire Service)(5-25-2015)
