TALLADEGA, Ala. — Ty Dillon enters Sunday’s 1000 Bulbs.com500 at Talladega Superspeedway having scored finishes inside the top-10 in two of the three speedway races this season.
Dillon says that his consistent season of completing all the laps and bringing home clean cars has allowed the team to improve and help establish the program.
“When we have 50 employees compared to 400 that these top teams have and we don’t have quite the money the other teams have, it is important that you aren’t putting your team behind,” Dillon said.
“If you’re a young gun going out and crashing a bunch of cars for a team that needs to continue to build, you’re not going to build a program. You’re going to be put behind and you aren’t going to be able to put a good product out there consistently.”
Although Dillon is not a part of the 2019 NASCAR Playoffs, the driver of the No. 13 Germain Racing car is still keeping an eye on the current points situation. Dillon is currently 24th in points, 84 points ahead of Daniel Hemric.
Dillon says that his points cushion over Hemric allows the team to gamble and keep the mindset of just finishing the race on Sunday.
“We can kind of do what we want to do in a sense,” Dillon told Kickin’ The Tires after practice concluded. “But you look back at our races, we’ve really ran well at superspeedways and our average finishes are good here. That’s all been with the same mindset; not an overly-aggressive mindset, but finishing the race. “
Dillon was satisfied with his car during Friday’s two practice sessions in which he was 16th quickest in both sessions.
“We have a really fast car that I’m really happy with. Our GEICO Camaro was doing everything I could ask for, and a little more, in practice. I’m pumped for that.”
As far as a plan for Sunday? Dillon says he doesn’t create one.
“I never have a plan for these places, I just kind of go off of my feel and instinct. I’m very much of an instinctive driver, so I just kind of let it go how it goes on Sunday.”