NASCAR: 5 candidates for a second 23XI Racing seat
By Asher Fair
Candidates for 23XI Racing expansion: No. 4 – Ty Dillon
The 2021 season is 23XI Racing’s first season, and Bubba Wallace is their lone driver. But with all factors considered, Ty Dillon will always be the team’s first ever driver.
With Wallace not eligible to compete in the Busch Clash exhibition race at the Daytona International Speedway road course back in early February before the season began, the team made Dillon, who had just signed a part-time deal with the Joe Gibbs Racing Xfinity Series team, the driver of the #23 Toyota for this race, given the fact that he was actually eligible to compete in it but did not yet have a ride to do so.
Dillon wasn’t particularly impressive with Joe Gibbs Racing in his limited number of starts in the Xfinity Series earlier this season, utilizing equipment with which others have thrived, but he was impressive in his next two starts with Our Motorsports. He has also done a respectable job in his part-time role at Gaunt Brothers Racing in the Cup Series so far this year.
He has plenty of experience in the Cup Series, and a full-time move to a growing organization could be give his career the resurgence it needs at this stage after he lost his full-time ride with Germain Racing after four years last year. Additionally, he already has a great relationship with Wallace.
Interestingly, it was Germain Racing’s charter that 23XI Racing bought for the #23 Toyota, which made the fact that Dillon was technically the team’s first driver a bit ironic given the fact that the sale of that charter was basically how he lost his ride.
By no means is he the top candidate to take over a second car, but how ironic would it be if he ends up being next man to become a full-time driver for the team?