By: Zach Catanzareti, Staff Writer
Each week, Kickin’ The Tires will highlight the 20th-place finisher from the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Standing as the middleman in weekends with 40-car fields, there is sure to be a story behind each one.
So far in 2018, it’s been common to see an underdog team end the day in the 20th position. The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series is home to more than a dozen teams, who may be steps behind the big teams, but who also have a knack for squeezing out every opportunity to finish well.
Ty Dillon and Germain Racing put both ends together in Saturday’s Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond Raceway when they turned a 31st-place qualifying effort into a 20th-place finish.
“We had a fight on our hands,” Dillon said. “Our Camaro ZL1 lacked drive during the first stage, and I was really struggling with entry and exit. My team made great changes during the stage break to get my balance how I needed it to be.”
At this point in 2017, a top 20 wasn’t a huge deal, having five through the opening nine races. And though it may still not be considered “huge” in 2018, it’s surely a step in the right direction for a team who entered Richmond 30th in points. Saturday was only their second top-20 finish in the first quarter of the year and it didn’t come easy. The No. 13 Chevrolet lacked stability in the corners to make early progress in the 402-lap race.
“We were already in a hole at that point,” he said of the first stage. “We kept working at it and were able to gain ground in the second and third stages.”
After the completion of Stage 2, Dillon was 29th and off the lead lap. But the final run to the end, which didn’t see a caution until 45 laps to go, saw Dillon gain nine positions to reach the top 20 during the final overtime restart. The jump from the halfway point (29th) to checkered (20th) was the largest position jump for Dillon all season.
“By the end, we had played our cards right and were able to use strategy to finish on the lead lap,” he said. “This was a tough weekend at times. This team doesn’t give up. We rallied from behind to take home a top-20 finish, and I am proud of our whole team’s effort.”
Dillon advanced to 29th in driver points, his highest position this far. And with his two top 20s coming in the last three races, the No. 13 team has Talladega Superspeedway to continue the upward projection.
“Now it’s time to turn our focus to Talladega and the GEICO 500 race weekend,” he concluded.
List of 20th-Place Finishers So Far in 2018
Daytona: Gray Gaulding
Atlanta: Alex Bowman
Las Vegas: Trevor Bayne
ISM: Trevor Bayne (2)
Auto Club: Darrell Wallace Jr.
Martinsville: William Byron
Texas: Gray Gaulding(2)
Bristol: Landon Cassill
Richmond: Ty Dillon
Mid-Pack With Zach: Ty Dillon, Germain Racing
By: Zach Catanzareti, Staff Writer
Each week, Kickin’ The Tires will highlight the 20th-place finisher from the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Standing as the middleman in weekends with 40-car fields, there is sure to be a story behind each one.
So far in 2018, it’s been common to see an underdog team end the day in the 20th position. The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series is home to more than a dozen teams, who may be steps behind the big teams, but who also have a knack for squeezing out every opportunity to finish well.
Ty Dillon and Germain Racing put both ends together in Saturday’s Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond Raceway when they turned a 31st-place qualifying effort into a 20th-place finish.
“We had a fight on our hands,” Dillon said. “Our Camaro ZL1 lacked drive during the first stage, and I was really struggling with entry and exit. My team made great changes during the stage break to get my balance how I needed it to be.”
At this point in 2017, a top 20 wasn’t a huge deal, having five through the opening nine races. And though it may still not be considered “huge” in 2018, it’s surely a step in the right direction for a team who entered Richmond 30th in points. Saturday was only their second top-20 finish in the first quarter of the year and it didn’t come easy. The No. 13 Chevrolet lacked stability in the corners to make early progress in the 402-lap race.
“We were already in a hole at that point,” he said of the first stage. “We kept working at it and were able to gain ground in the second and third stages.”
After the completion of Stage 2, Dillon was 29th and off the lead lap. But the final run to the end, which didn’t see a caution until 45 laps to go, saw Dillon gain nine positions to reach the top 20 during the final overtime restart. The jump from the halfway point (29th) to checkered (20th) was the largest position jump for Dillon all season.
“By the end, we had played our cards right and were able to use strategy to finish on the lead lap,” he said. “This was a tough weekend at times. This team doesn’t give up. We rallied from behind to take home a top-20 finish, and I am proud of our whole team’s effort.”
Dillon advanced to 29th in driver points, his highest position this far. And with his two top 20s coming in the last three races, the No. 13 team has Talladega Superspeedway to continue the upward projection.
“Now it’s time to turn our focus to Talladega and the GEICO 500 race weekend,” he concluded.
List of 20th-Place Finishers So Far in 2018
Daytona: Gray Gaulding
Atlanta: Alex Bowman
Las Vegas: Trevor Bayne
ISM: Trevor Bayne (2)
Auto Club: Darrell Wallace Jr.
Martinsville: William Byron
Texas: Gray Gaulding(2)
Bristol: Landon Cassill
Richmond: Ty Dillon