NASCAR is full of tales where drivers get the boot from one team, only to roar back stronger elsewhere! NASCAR has a rich history of these comeback stories, blending resilience, timing, and a fresh start to redefine careers.

Take Kyle Busch, who was released by Hendrick Motorsports in 2007 to make room for Dale Earnhardt Jr. At just 22 and already a race winner, Busch saw the door shut as Hendrick chased brand synergy with Junior’s popularity. Undeterred, he landed at Joe Gibbs Racing in 2008 and exploded with 8 wins in his first season, becoming a perennial championship contender. The impact? He snagged the 2015 and 2019 Cup Series championships with JGR and racked up over 50 Cup races with the team.

Then there’s Joey Logano, once dubbed “Sliced Bread” as the next big thing at Joe Gibbs Racing. After inconsistent results and clashes with veterans like Kevin Harvick, he was let go after 2012 in favor of Matt Kenseth. Team Penske scooped him up, and Logano blossomed into a two-time NASCAR Cup champion in 2018 and 2022, adding a Daytona 500 win and solidifying his spot among the series’ elite.

Ty Dillon followed a similar arc. His separation from Richard Childress Racing wasn’t a dramatic ousting, but rather a dream deferred, shaped by internal dynamics, sponsorship limits, and personal choices. Recently, Ty opened up about how that falling out and a new shot at Kaulig changed his life.

Ty Dillon opens up about his journey.

The man himself shed light on that rollercoaster ride during a recent appearance on the Racing Writers’ Podcast. “You know, everybody’s career turns out different. Mine has been one that I’ve had to show a lot of perseverance and grinding to get better on it off the track, and in as many ways as possible, to just stick around and get one more chance. And I found myself in the best opportunity I’ve ever had at Kaulig Racing.”

Ty Dillon’s path in NASCAR has been far from straightforward. As a grandson of team owner Richard Childress, expectations ran high, but he never received a consistent full-time Cup ride with RCR. Despite winning the 2011 ARCA championship and earning Rookie of the Year in the Truck Series a year later, he repeatedly faced doors closed within his grandfather’s empire. Reflecting on that struggle, Dillon acknowledged he “had to show a lot of perseverance and grinding … to just stick around and get one more chance.” His long quest proved critical to survival in the sport.

Dillon’s gamble paid off when he joined Kaulig Racing full-time in 2025. The move marked a pivotal change, leaving behind the shadows of RCR’s internal politics and entering a team that valued him as a driver and teammate. He described the organization as “the best opportunity I’ve ever been with,” saying, “I feel so loved and accepted.” Like many newcomers to Kaulig, Dillon found comfort in a supportive atmosphere where performance on track was met with trust. That trust was an essential element missing during his earlier Cup years.

He continued on the podcast,  “A place that I feel so loved and accepted. They’ve shown confidence in me, which is, in turn, turned into real confidence inside the race car, and you know we’re not where we want to be. You know, like we’re celebrating cuz we finished 20th to get to the next round, but you know, we see the future in front of us. The recipe for success is there and getting better. We have a speeding race car, so it’s about capitalizing on it and continuing this run as a group.”

Building that rapport translated into results. Kaulig’s tighter technical alliance with RCR and strategic hires, like AJ Allmendinger and engineers from Stewart-Haas, helped raise the team’s entire level of performance. Dillon noted they saw clear signs of progress, even celebrating a 20th-place finish that secured them a spot in the next playoff round. “The recipe for success is there,” he said, adding that “speeding the race car” in qualifying and practice would be key to capitalizing on their momentum.

The contrast between his early rejection and current opportunity hasn’t gone unnoticed. Ty often remarks he’s “forever indebted to” Kaulig for believing in him when others didn’t. His past at RCR, where he was often overlooked due to internal politics, stood in stark contrast to Kaulig’s full-throttle support in 2025. Now, with his seat secure and his confidence restored, he’s focused on repayment through consistent performance, teamwork, and proving he belongs at NASCAR’s highest level.

Kevin Harvick has concerns for Ty’s In-Season Finale.

Switching lanes, Kevin Harvick’s got some thoughts on Ty Dillon’s run as the in-season finale looms, and he shared them on a recent episode of ‘Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour.’ The veteran kicked off by nodding to Dillon’s team gains, saying, “It’s been fun, because Ty Dillon wouldn’t have been on TV at all. He hasn’t run well enough to even be on TV. So it’s been great for his team, the exposure, and given them some things to challenge… sponsors that otherwise they might not have been able to do.”

Harvick leaned toward Ty Gibbs for the upcoming Brickyard 400 race, highlighting the skills needed. “I think ultimately, Ty Gibbs has the big advantage. I look at Indy as a big team track, and it’s just so unique in the things that you need in the car.”

He questioned Dillon’s tournament progress, pointing to its fluky nature. “But I don’t think there is one bracket in America that has these finals, though. I think the bracket piece of it isn’t being talked about, because there are no brackets.”

Harvick suggested NASCAR rethink the tournament layout, adding, “I don’t know if NASCAR’s gonna do this… but if you’re gonna do this again, you need to look at the schedule. I don’t think you want all your brackets busted the first week after Atlanta, a superspeedway. Maybe end it that way to make it intriguing? I mean, there has to be some thought process on that side of it… I think you want to be able to have a variety of people to make it to the finals.”

Kevin Harvick isn’t sold on Ty Dillon’s ‘Cinderella’ moves. However, similar wildcard runs might just keep two Cup Series teams in the NASCAR spotlight, adding an extra layer of intrigue to this weekend’s showdown.