Ty Dillon has seen his share of disappointment. Remember his 2013 incident with Chase Elliott? Dillon was about to win that race. Or when he had just taken the points lead at Homestead-Miami in 2012, with just five laps left, and Kyle Larson, in his fourth Truck race, crashed into him. Well, Dillon might just be about to change his unlucky streak. The finale for the NASCAR In-Season Tournament is here, and Ty Dillon is ready to cash that $1,000,000 check. Dillon will have to go up against Ty Gibbs today if he hopes to cap off the epic Cinderella run that he’s been on this summer. After knocking out names no one thought he could (including one dramatic late-lap clash that ended Rick Hendrick’s star’s final shot at the prize), Dillon’s not just racing for money anymore.

He’s racing with a message. Whether fans saw it coming or not, Ty Dillon has officially entered his villain arc, and he’s embracing the role with a smile and a smirk. But it’s what he said after the wreck that sent shockwaves through the garage. And yes, Joe Gibbs Racing better be listening. Let’s rewind a bit.

Ty Dillon’s run through the NASCAR In-Season Tournament has been the stuff of fairy tales. Entering as the lowest seed, he’s turned heads and wrecked brackets, knocking out heavyweights like Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski, and John Hunter Nemechek. But it was his Round 3 battle at Sonoma that really got people talking and possibly ruffled a few feathers.

When asked what he’d do to get past Ty Gibbs in the final lap, Dillon didn’t mince words. He said, “Ask Alex Bowman.” For those who need a refresher, Dillon muscled past Bowman with a bold bump-and-run in Turn 11 on the final lap at Sonoma. That move sent Dillon to the semifinals (and the Hendrick Motorsports driver packing).

Back then, Dillon made it clear there’s no lingering drama. “There’s no bad blood,” he said, crediting Bowman for racing him clean. “Just really happy with the way that it ended up, and if it wasn’t for a million dollars, I’d have never hunted him like that.”

Well, Dillon may have warned Gibbs, but the JGR driver is fully prepared. “Hopefully we’re not bumper to bumper, and hopefully we’re going for the win, so we’ll see. But maybe we are both going for the win, so I don’t know. I feel like we’ve been really good with our strategy lately and hopefully that puts us up front.” 

Clearly, neither car is afraid to rough things up when the stakes are high. With just one race between him and a million bucks, you can bet Dillon will pull every trick in the book to cross that finish line first. From the bottom seed to potentially the top dog, Dillon’s journey has been nothing short of electric.

For Dillon, the competition is a way to give more to fans. “It’s something we do, and the heels and the babyface, and learning how to entertain people is something that I think every driver should do homework and watch a little bit of because we deserve to give our fans a little bit more. I would say one of the unwritten stories that I give a lot of credit to is the fact that Denny Hamlin, in the last year and a half, has leaned into his ‘Denny versus the world’ thing and played into a personality to kind of go at the fans. Denny leaning into that and telling everybody that he’s beat your favorite driver, and the reaction, I mean, he’s the loudest boo, and boos aren’t a bad thing always. Him doing that allowed me to have a little fun when we beat him in Atlanta.”

Now, with one last obstacle standing in his way, Joe Gibbs Racing driver Ty Gibbs, Dillon’s all-in. Win or lose, he’s already proven something far bigger: underestimate the underdog, and you might just get bumped. What do you think? Will Ty Dillon shock the world one last time and complete the greatest Cinderella run NASCAR’s ever seen?

Why do people have their money on Ty Dillon, not Gibbs?

Ty Dillon has become the unexpected hero of NASCAR’s In-Season Tournament, and it’s not just about the racing. Rather, it’s the underdog narrative fans are rallying behind. As recently noted, veteran driver Kyle Petty captured the spirit perfectly. This is more than Ty Dillon vs. Ty Gibbs. It’s Kaulig Racing, a gritty mid-tier team, going toe-to-toe with powerhouse Joe Gibbs Racing. Think of David vs. Goliath.

They’re two really separate groups, and I think that Ty Dillon and Kaulig are more relatable to the average fan, and those people are pulling for him… This is my guy. This is my next-door neighbor. He won the lottery, man. He did it. And I think a lot of it is that sentiment that they want to see the underdog in this situation really knock out the big guy,” Kyle Petty explained.

Kaulig Racing’s owner, Matt Kaulig, chimed in too. He called the final berth better than a win, praising the resilience and identity of the No. 10 team. Matt believes Dillon’s run has already delivered value beyond just a potential payday. “To give a guy like Ty Dillon and our #10 team, we’re not competing for wins typically week in and week out, but like that’s a win,” he said.

With Dillon’s Cup stats showing zero wins in 266 starts, few expected him to go this far. Yet, here he is, seeded 32nd and knocking out drivers from organizations with deeper pockets. His rise has energized fans who see him as the relatable face of grit and belief. As the final showdown approaches, the fan sentiment is clear. This isn’t just a money race. It’s validation that underdogs can not only compete but conquer.