RELATED: Full race results from Dover | Updated Series standings
DOVER, Del. -- Already dressed in street clothes, a disappointed Ty Dillon stood near the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing hauler, huddled with his crew following a tough 28th-place result in the XFINITY Series' Hisense 300 at Dover International Speedway. The finish dropped Dillon from second to fourth in the championship standings, 39 points behind leader Chris Buescher.
Dillon's grandfather and team owner Richard Childress stopped by to console his grandson with a few words and a pat on the back.
"I ain't finishing fourth." Dillon told Childress.
Dillon's unfortunate day began when he blew a tire at Lap 25, taking his Chevrolet off the race track and into the garage for repairs. He returned to the track around Lap 88, finishing the race 85 laps down.
"Well, it started with a bang," Dillon said after the race. "Kind of putting things together, I heard that -- sounded like a car exploded, a brake rotor and the 43 might have ran over it and then we were one of the cars to come through.
"Because I had no warning -- the car was still handling great. Then all of a sudden I heard a 'pow' into the wall."
The XFINITY Series hit the track Saturday for the 200-mile race without any practice or qualifying time due to inclement weather. And the lack of practice time, Dillon said, may have affected the way many of the cars were running.
"You can't blame it on anybody," Dillon said. "When you don't have practice, some of these back marker cars, they aren't able to prepare the race car from week to week like most teams are. It's a bummer, it happens."
With five races remaining on the XFINITY Series season, Dillon's once-bright outlook for the championship title appears significantly dimmer. In addition to leader Buescher, Dillon's No. 3 sits behind JR Motorsports' Chase Elliott and Regan Smith, who won Saturday's event at Dover.
Nonetheless, Dillon remains optimistic, siting the his team's jump from 43 points down after Daytona in July to 20 points down four races later after Iowa.
"I'm proud of my guys -- we've had some awesome race cars lately," Dillon said. "… I know in my heart I can win some of these races and get back in this thing. We're not going to give up, that's for sure."