By: Zach Catanzareti, Staff Writer
Unlike the vast majority of 2018, Ty Dillon and Germain Racing were knocking on the back door of the top 10 throughout Sunday’s running of the First Data 500 from Martinsville Speedway.
Starting 23rd, Dillon exceeded just a top-20 spot by running into the 12th position in his No. 13 Chevrolet. Throughout the race’s two 130-lap stages, Dillon was consistent around this area and contended for what would have been only his second0career top-10 finish in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.
The late run, however, pushed Dillon to the high lane and placed the top 10 out of reach, crossing the checkered flag in 15th spot.
“We really executed well. We had a great, great racecar,” Dillon told Kickin’ The Tires. “I’m proud of the way we’re building these Camaros to get better each week.”
With a previous best finish of 22nd at Martinsville, Dillon had this track circled as a potential to bring home a strong result. More than that, show people that improvement in Germain Racing is happening.
“I thought we were a top-five car,” he said. “We were as good for the first five or 10 laps as everybody. But after that, we could really run. It was just a matter of getting those positions back. This is a place we circled as a place I felt we could show our potential going into next year. And we did that.”
Dillon enters Texas Motor Speedway, the place he earned a 13th-place finish at in the spring.
“Hopefully, we can roll this momentum into Texas and finish out the year strong,” he said.