XFINITY Series points leader discusses what he hopes the future holds
NEWTON, Iowa – When Austin Dillon wrapped up his 2013 NASCAR XFINITY Series championship run, he'd run two full-time Camping World Truck seasons (winning a title in his second) another two at the XFINITY level and had a ride with the sport's most famous number – 3 – waiting for him in the Sprint Cup Series.
Austin's brother, Ty, is well on his way to his own XFINITY Series championship – in his second campaign after two full-time seasons in the Truck Series, no less – as the points leader after the season's first nine races.
Only difference is, with Richard Childress Racing's three-car stable occupied by Austin, Ryan Newman and Paul Menard, there's no clear option for Ty to advance to.
That doesn't mean Ty and his grandfather and RCR team owner, Richard Childress, aren't coming up with a plan.
"We've definitely talked about (my Cup plans for 2016) and I think it's our goal," Ty said Saturday at Iowa Speedway, site of Sunday's 3M 250 (2 p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1, MRN, SiriusXM). "It's my goal and my grandfather and I have talked about it a lot, (running) in Cup next year.
"Still working on things, but that's next year. I think if we win the championship this year, it'll make plans easier to come by."
Coming off a championship certainly helped Austin's case, as he had big shoes to fill and doubters to quiet, stepping into a car that adorns the number Dale Earnhardt made famous. The only problem with Ty's plans for next year is that there's no obvious car to step into, famous or not.
It's conceivable that the No. 33 Circle Sport Chevrolet in which, RCR has an alliance with and the car that Ty has made his four Cup starts in over the past two years, could be transformed into a fourth Childress entry, but nothing has been said to indicate this.
Expansion has been a trend the past two seasons with Joe Gibbs Racing and Stewart-Haas Racing going to four-car teams. JGR added a fourth team for the 2015 season to compete with other four-car stables in SHR and Hendrick Motorsports, but the organization has had some ups and downs in the early going since expanding to four cars.
Either way, Ty is focusing on the task at hand.
"We just have to focus on my job, and that's to win races," the 23-year-old driver said.
"Hopefully sponsorship and everything will come together, but (running Cup in 2016) is our full intention."