The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series silly season has been one of the most uneventful in recent memory. Aside from Connor Zilisch replacing Daniel Suarez at Trackhouse Racing, and the Monterrey, Mexico native in turn replacing Justin Haley at Spire Motorsports, there is nothing but a manufacturer swap to speak of.
Literally, nothing. As far as we know, all 34 of the other 36 full-time drivers from 2025 are expected to be back with the same teams in 2026. The latest spot on the grid to be confirmed was Ty Dillon's return to the No. 10 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet.
It's underwhelming, to say the least.
Ty Dillon was already bad; he didn't need to wreck William Byron at Las Vegas to prove it
In 2025, Dillon finished 33rd in points out of 36 full-time drivers. But the highlight (or, in more accurate terms, lowlight) of his season came in the playoff race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, when he tried to pit under green from the middle lane without signaling to drivers behind him, and title-contending driver William Byron plowed straight into him.
Because of this wreck still being fresh in fans' memories, nobody wanted to see Dillon back in the Cup Series in 2026. Yet before that, the narrative was always that he got too much hate. He was a classic case of "at least he never tears up equipment!"
Dillon received heavy praise for qualifying for the final round of NASCAR's In-Season Challenge as the lowest-seeded driver in the bracket, which he accomplished by earning finishes of eighth, 20th, 17th, and 20th in the four races leading up to it.
That run was 99% a product of bad things happening to his head-to-head opponents, and 1% a product of him doing anything impressive.
Such is the story of Dillon's Cup Series career. In 281 starts, he's never won and has a total of two top five finishes. His best points standings result is 24th. He's driven full-time for four different teams, and he has had a teammate to be compared to with each of the past three.
All three of them – one of whom was Corey LaJoie, a driver fans couldn't wait to see out of the series fast enough – have crushed him head-to-head.
Aside from Cody Ware, Dillon is likely the most low-upside driver in the Cup field. Yet as long as he brought his cars home in one piece, the excuses would pile up, just as they did for similar "he doesn't do anything bad!" all-timers such as J.J. Yeley, Casey Mears, and David Ragan.
The absence of doing anything good is something bad. Dillon shouldn't be a Cup Series driver, not because he made one dumb mistake a couple months ago, but because he's had nearly a full decade to prove he's simply not it.