Ty Dillon Bio
Tyler Reed Dillon, known professionally as Ty Dillon, is an American professional stock car racing driver born on February 27, 1992, in Welcome, North Carolina. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 10 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Kaulig Racing. Dillon is the 2011 ARCA Racing Series champion and was the youngest champion in series history at nineteen years, seven months, and nineteen days. He is a member of one of the most recognized families in American motorsports, with deep ties to Richard Childress Racing.
Across his career, Dillon has competed in the NASCAR Cup Series, the NASCAR Xfinity Series, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, and the ARCA Menards Series. His early success in ARCA established him as a rising talent, and he has since built a durable presence in NASCAR’s national touring divisions.
Early Life and Background
Ty Dillon was born and raised in the Piedmont Triad region of North Carolina, in the small community of Welcome. He grew up in a household steeped in motorsports. His father, Mike Dillon, is a retired NASCAR driver and the general manager of Richard Childress Racing, while his mother, Tina Dillon, supported the family’s deep involvement in racing. Ty’s older brother, Austin Dillon, is also a NASCAR Cup Series driver and competes full-time for Richard Childress Racing.
Dillon’s grandfather is Richard Childress, the owner of Richard Childress Racing and a former professional stock car racing driver. Growing up around the team, Ty was surrounded by race shops, drivers, and engineers from an early age, which fueled his ambition to race. He began his competitive career in go-karts and Bandolero cars, developing the foundational skills that would carry him into stock car racing.
Path to NASCAR
Dillon moved up to the K&N Pro Series East in 2009 and competed for the series championship the following year, finishing thirteenth in points despite running only eight of the ten scheduled races. He scored his first win in the series in August 2010 at Gresham Motorsports Park, confirming his potential as a stock car racer. That same year, he made his ARCA Racing Series debut, winning two of his three starts at Kansas Speedway and Rockingham Speedway.
In 2011, Dillon ran his first full ARCA season and won seven races en route to the series championship, defeating Chris Buescher by 340 points. Although he narrowly lost the ARCA Rookie of the Year award to Buescher, his dominant season signaled his readiness for NASCAR’s national series. He made his Truck Series debut later that year at Kentucky Speedway, finishing eighteenth, and quickly established himself as a driver to watch within the Richard Childress Racing pipeline.
Ty Dillon Career
Early Career (2011-2013)
Dillon’s full-time NASCAR career began in the Camping World Truck Series in 2012 with Richard Childress Racing. He posted consistent top-ten finishes early in the year, including a third-place run at Texas Motor Speedway, and captured his first career Truck Series victory on August 31, 2012, at Atlanta Motor Speedway. His performance that season earned him the Camping World Truck Series Rookie of the Year award.
Returning to the Truck Series in 2013, Dillon added a win at Kentucky Speedway on June 27 and became a central figure in one of the year’s most talked-about moments at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. While battling rookie Chase Elliott on the final lap, contact sent Dillon into the tire barrier, costing him the win. He finished second in the final Truck Series standings and was named the series’ Most Popular Driver.
Camping World Truck Series Highlights (2012-2013)
Over his two full Truck Series seasons, Dillon established himself as a winning driver and a fan favorite. His first career win at Atlanta in 2012 launched his reputation, and his Kentucky victory in 2013 reinforced his growing potential. At Texas Motor Speedway in 2013, he added another win, marking the 100th NASCAR victory for a No. 3 car or truck, a meaningful milestone given his family’s ties to the iconic number.
Dillon returned to the Truck Series on a limited basis in 2014, 2015, and 2017, running select events with RCR-affiliated teams. In late 2023, Rackley W.A.R. announced that he would drive the No. 25 truck full-time in 2024, his first full Truck Series campaign since 2013. He later stepped out of the seat prior to the Kansas race, taking on a coaching and mentoring role for Dawson Sutton.
NASCAR Xfinity Series Breakthrough (2012-2017)
Dillon made his Nationwide Series debut in June 2012 at Dover International Speedway and quickly proved competitive. He finished third in the inaugural Nationwide Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway later that summer. In 2014, he moved to the Nationwide Series full-time with Richard Childress Racing, taking over the No. 3 Chevrolet from his brother Austin. That year, he won his first career poles at Las Vegas, Kentucky, and Kansas.
On July 26, 2014, at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Dillon passed Kyle Busch on the final restart and held him off to claim his first career Xfinity Series victory, a breakthrough moment at one of the sport’s most prestigious venues. He finished second to Chase Elliott in the 2014 Rookie of the Year standings. Over the next three seasons, he became a consistent contender, earning 25 top-tens in 2015 and finishing a career-best third in the final standings. He made the Chase in 2016 and finished fifth in points, with five runner-up finishes, including a Dash 4 Cash victory at Richmond.
Dillon also made select Xfinity starts in later years, including a part-time return to the No. 3 at Richard Childress Racing from 2017 through 2018, a part-time stint with Joe Gibbs Racing and Our Motorsports in 2021, and occasional appearances afterward.
NASCAR Cup Series Journey (2014-2024)
Dillon made his Sprint Cup Series debut in 2014 at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the No. 33 for Hillman-Circle Sport LLC in partnership with Richard Childress Racing. He split time with multiple teams in 2015 and 2016, including Circle Sport-Leavine Family Racing, Stewart-Haas Racing, and Tommy Baldwin Racing. In November 2016, Germain Racing announced that Dillon would drive the No. 13 GEICO Chevrolet full-time in 2017, replacing veteran Casey Mears.
Over the next several seasons, Dillon built a reputation for consistency at superspeedways. He earned his first Cup Series top-ten in 2018 at Daytona, a sixth-place finish in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 after 71 career starts. In 2019, he won his first career Cup stage at Bristol and his first top-five later that summer at Daytona, finishing fourth. He ended 2020 with a career-best third-place result at Talladega after Matt DiBenedetto was penalized. When Germain Racing shut down after 2020, Dillon moved to GMS Racing in 2022, then joined Spire Motorsports in 2023 to drive the No. 77. In 2024, he ran part-time across several teams, including Kaulig Racing, Team AmeriVet, and a return to Richard Childress Racing at Indianapolis.
Kaulig Racing Era (2025-Present)
On October 18, 2022, Spire Motorsports announced Dillon would drive the No. 77 full-time in 2023, and on October 10, 2023, the team announced Carson Hocevar would replace him for 2024. In March 2024, Kaulig Racing announced Dillon would drive the No. 16 in a five-race deal beginning at Richmond. Kaulig later confirmed that Dillon would return to the Cup Series full-time in 2025, taking over the renumbered No. 10 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1.
The 2025 move places Dillon in a Chevrolet seat for a well-funded team with a growing technical alliance. He replaces Daniel Hemric and brings a decade of Cup Series experience to the program. His early form with Kaulig will be a focal point of the season, with steady stage points and top-fifteen consistency the realistic early benchmarks.
Driving Style and Strengths
Ty Dillon is best known for his smooth, conservative style and his ability to avoid superspeedway wrecks, making him a steady finisher at Daytona and Talladega. He has shown tactical patience on intermediate tracks, earning top-ten and top-five finishes through clean execution rather than aggression. His adaptability across multiple teams and car numbers has also been a defining trait, allowing him to deliver respectable results in a wide range of equipment.
Notable Races and Milestones
Dillon’s first career Truck Series win at Atlanta Motor Speedway in 2012 marked the arrival of a new RCR talent, and his 2013 Texas victory was the 100th NASCAR win for a No. 3 entry. His first Xfinity Series win at Indianapolis in 2014 remains a career highlight, as does his breakthrough Cup Series top-ten at Daytona in 2018. His 2020 Talladega result, a third-place finish promoted after post-race inspection, set a new personal best in the Cup Series.
Ty Dillon Career Wins
Ty Dillon’s verified victories include his 2011 ARCA Racing Series championship, won with seven race wins, and two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victories at Atlanta Motor Speedway in 2012 and Kentucky Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway in 2013. He has also won a NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2014.
NASCAR Xfinity Series Highlights
Dillon’s lone Xfinity Series victory came at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 26, 2014, a win that showcased his composure under pressure against Kyle Busch. He has been a model of consistency, earning 25 top-tens in 2015 and posting five runner-up finishes in 2016, including the Dash 4 Cash at Richmond. He finished a career-best third in the series standings in 2015.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond his national series success, Dillon is a one-time ARCA Racing Series champion and a two-time Camping World Truck Series award winner, taking Rookie of the Year honors in 2012 and Most Popular Driver in 2013. He also scored a single K&N Pro Series East win at Gresham Motorsports Park in 2010.
Ty Dillon Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Ty Dillon is part of one of NASCAR’s most prominent racing families. His father, Mike Dillon, is a retired NASCAR driver and the general manager of Richard Childress Racing. His brother, Austin Dillon, is a NASCAR Cup Series driver and full-time driver of the No. 3 for RCR. His grandfather is Richard Childress, the founder and owner of RCR, a former professional driver, and a key figure in the history of the No. 3 in NASCAR.
Personal Life
Ty Dillon married Haley Carey, a former driver and Charlotte Hornets cheerleader, on December 20, 2014, at Childress Vineyards in Lexington, North Carolina. The couple welcomed a daughter, Oakley Ray Dillon, on November 20, 2017, and a son, Kapton Reed Dillon, on October 29, 2020. Dillon has also pursued creative interests, including regular vlogs on his YouTube channel and a cameo in the 2019 film Stuber.
2025 Season Performance
Ty Dillon enters 2025 as the full-time driver of the No. 10 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Kaulig Racing, replacing Daniel Hemric. The move reunites him with a Chevrolet manufacturer program and a team steadily expanding its technical footprint in the Cup Series. His years of experience across RCR, Germain Racing, GMS, and Spire give him a wide operational base heading into the new campaign.
His 2024 part-time schedule, which included stints with Kaulig, Team AmeriVet, and Richard Childress Racing, served as a reset after his full-time release from Spire Motorsports. He finished 19th at Indianapolis in the No. 33 for RCR, a strong run at a venue where he has enjoyed past success. That momentum carried into off-season testing with Kaulig, where team leadership has pointed to top-fifteen consistency as a realistic early goal.
For 2025, Dillon’s outlook hinges on avoiding the late-season slide that marked his Spire tenure. With Chevrolet factory support and a stable team structure, the No. 10 program is positioned to compete for stage points and occasional top-ten finishes. While a playoff berth would be a significant step forward, the primary benchmark is steady, mistake-free racing that builds a foundation for future growth at Kaulig Racing.