Ty Dillon could be stepping in for Tony Stewart in some upcoming Sprint Cup Series races.
Media reports from Daytona International Speedway over the weekend, including from NBCSports, cited sources saying that Dillon could fill in for the injured Stewart at Atlanta and for at least three races after the Daytona 500.
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Speaking to reporters at NASCAR Media Day at Daytona on Tuesday, Dillon confirmed that he is under consideration for some Cup races in Stewart's car.
“Obviously it is something that has been talked about a lot, but nothing has been finalized,” he said. “Unfortunately, it kind of stinks that we are even talking about that down here. I think everybody including myself want Tony [to] go out the right way and to able to run every single race. To get back to the question - it would be an honor for me to drive Tony’s car in his last year, and hopefully do good for those guys. Nothing has been announced yet. I haven’t signed anything yet. We’ve been in talks. Hopefully we will have some news sooner or later, but nothing is finalized yet. But, if the opportunity were to come about, I would be honored to drive the No. 14 car and represent Tony in his last year.”
Dillon is competing at Daytona in the Circle Sport-Leavine Family Racing No. 95 this weekend. Media reports credit a variety of factors playing a role in the decision, including the fact that Dillon’s car is sponsored by Bass Pro Shops.
Stewart is sidelined indefinitely after breaking a vertebra in his back during a sand buggy crash in January. Brian Vickers filled in for Stewart in the non-points season-opening Sprint Unlimited and will be with the team for this weekend’s Daytona 500. When Stewart-Haas Racing announced Vickers as the relief driver on Feb. 12, the release stated that an interim driver following Daytona had not been determined.
Vickers was asked on Tuesday if he knew what his plans were beyond Daytona, and specifically for the second Cup race of the season at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
"At this point I don't," he said. "I know the team wants me there as long as I can be there. I want to be there as long as they want me there. We'll work it out. There's obviously a lot more to it these days than just desire. There's sponsors. There's just so much kind of behind the scenes.
"But, you know, I know they want me back in the car and I want to be in the car. We should be able to figure something out."
Dillon, 23, has seven career Cup starts. He finished third in the Xfinity Series standings last season, his second consecutive top-five season in the series. Dillon, the brother of Cup driver Austin Dillon and grandson of team owner Richard Childress, finished second in the Camping World Truck Series standings in 2013.
He says he would welcome the opportunity to compete in more Cup races.
“As many races as I can run, bring them on,” he told reporters. “I like to be in as many cars, and especially [in the] Sprint Cup Series. It is the highest level of motorsports racing and that is where I want to be. To run it full-time this year was obviously my goal, and it didn’t quite work out that way.
“So the opportunities I get especially with Leavine and Circle Sport Racing to go out there and build my resume and build my notebook for hopefully next year running full time is always something I welcome and want to bring on. So any time any kind of opportunity comes to me to get more laps, more racing in the Sprint Cup Series, I want to take it.”