After a lot of rumors and conjecture, Ty Dillon is set to take the wheel of the No. 25 truck for Rackley WAR, replacing Matt DiBenedetto. This is a surprising development as Dillon has spent the last few years in the NASCAR Cup Series full-time. He now goes down to the Craftsman Truck Series for 2024.
Ty Dillon was rumored to be a driver for the Kaulig Racing No. 16 Cup Series ride. While he could theoretically still compete for Kaulig, his full-time effort will be in the Truck Series.
The split between Rackley WAR and DiBenedetto puzzled many. The experienced driver was able to win a race for the team and give them a shot at the championship. However, for whatever reason, things fell apart before the season ended.
With Ty Dillon behind the wheel, Rackley WAR is hoping the three-time Truck Series race winner can find Victory Lane again after spending six of the last seven years full-time
Bob Pockrass of Fox Sports broke the news on Twitter.
Whenever a Cup Series talent drops down to the Truck Series, it raises eyebrows. At this point in his career, it appears that Ty Dillon wants to be in a position to win races. He just hasn’t had that in the top series. His last top-10 on an asphalt oval was Talladega 2021 in the rain-shortened event.
In 2012 and 2013, the last time Ty Dillon was full-time in the Truck Series, he scored a ton of top-10s as well as three wins total. He would go on to finish 4th and 2nd in those years, respectively.
11 years later, can Dillon find that same level of performance?
Ty Dillon hoping to find success in Truck Series
In 58 career races in the Craftsman Truck Series, Ty Dillon has shown a lot of promise and consistency. He has five pole awards, 36 top-10s, and three wins in his career. In that 2013 season, Dillon had 12 top-10s, and nine top-5s, and showed that he could compete at a high level in the series.
In 2023, Matt DiBenedetto scored 12 top-10s and two top-5s. At one point in the season, Matty D had a run of five top-10 finishes and six in seven races. That 2022 win at Talladega was great, but DiBenedetto finished better this season in the standings than he did in that year.
For Ty Dillon, the goal is clear – more top-10 finishes than not, get at least one win, and make a deep run in the playoffs if possible.
Things in the Truck Series aren’t as easy as they seem. There is a mix of experienced veterans and wily newcomers. Young and old drivers are all trying to prove that they belong elsewhere, not in the Truck Series.
Races get physical, wrecks are common – staying out of those incidents is important to having success in the series. Rackley WAR is getting a driver with a winning history, but it’s been a long time since those wins happened. For Dillon, it feels like he’s making a bet on himself and hoping he still has the touch in the Truck Series.
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