In the real world, Cinderella doesn’t drive a stock car. But in NASCAR’s first-ever In-Season Challenge, she does—and her name is Ty Dillon.
The No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet crossed the line 20th on Sunday at Dover Motor Speedway. That would usually mean a quiet pack-it-up-and-go-home finish. Instead, it was just enough to knock out John Hunter Nemechek by a single position and lock Dillon into the final round of the bracket for a shot at the $1 million prize.
Let that sink in. Ty Dillon—32nd seed, statistically the least likely to survive even one round—is now one race away from a million-dollar payday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
“It feels good,” Dillon said, grinning like a man who knows exactly how ridiculous this sounds. “I have been the underdog for a long time now, just battling my way to try to get opportunity. Eventually you get comfortable in fighting from behind and people underestimating you.”
Let’s recap the trail of chaos he’s left behind. First came Denny Hamlin, the No. 1 seed, booted out in Atlanta. Then Brad Keselowski, Alex Bowman, and now Nemechek—one by one, big names felled not by a dominant car, but by a guy who just refused to go away.
“We haven’t been a dominating car,” Dillon admitted, “but we’ve been a pain to everyone around us. That’s all we can do—put pressure on them and execute at the right time.”
It’s been a run that defies logic, aerodynamics, and perhaps even good taste. And it’s one Dillon never expected to have after being bounced out of full-time Cup Series rides in recent years. He knows what it feels like to be on the outside looking in.
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“I have been out of this sport and got good perspective,” he said. “I don’t take it for granted. I have so much gratitude just to get to race these cars.”
This all might sound like the sort of thing that gets turned into a Hallmark movie—if Hallmark made movies about nicotine-sponsored Chevrolets. But make no mistake, this isn’t charity. Dillon earned his way in. It wasn’t always pretty, but it was efficient, annoying, and somehow effective.
“I’m proud of the way we’ve run. When things are coming together in a season like this, it’s not everything we want,” he said. “But we’re having fun. And when you can leave the racetrack smiling, you’re already winning.”
Waiting for him in the finals is Ty Gibbs—who, in stark contrast, arrived via a path of pure speed and fifth-place finishes. Gibbs eliminated Tyler Reddick, Zane Smith, AJ Allmendinger, and Justin Haley like a smug teenager with a cheat code.
But now it’s Gibbs vs. Dillon. Destiny vs. Determination. Golden boy vs. garage dog.
And at the end of it, someone walks away a million dollars richer.
My money? Well, I wouldn’t put it on the guy who’s supposed to win. Not after this.
Greg was a writer for DriveTribe supporting Amazon's The Grand Tour and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, and a Masters degree in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek and a regular contributor to Forbes.
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