“I’m having fun again… Being a part of a team that I feel like genuinely has confidence in me and my ability.” Ty Dillon’s words earlier this week signaled a supremely optimistic situation at Kaulig Racing. After all, the No. 10 Chevrolet driver has been the man of the month, boosting his fan base and driving the headlines for NASCAR’s Bracket Challenge. The goal may be a million dollars, waiting at the end of the Indianapolis race next week. But what Dillon has achieved so far is the real gold.

Ty Dillon drives the No. 10 in Kaulig Racing alongside AJ Allmendinger. The latter’s return for the 2026 season was already confirmed by team president Chris Rice. Doubts lingered for Dillon initially, as the race results were not up to the mark. But Dillon snuffed out all of those doubts with his Cinderella run.

A bright future ahead for Ty Dillon?

Relationships with sponsors are the glue that keeps any race team together in the NASCAR Cup Series. These have paid off with the social media clips and post-race interviews that Ty Dillon has engaged in recently. From using Denny Hamlin’s iconic ‘I beat your favorite driver’ line against him to smoothly nudging Alex Bowman for the lead in Sonoma, Dillon’s actions have been ragingly popular.

In Dover, Dillon extended his winning streak in the In-Season Challenge. He fought with his rival, John Hunter Nemechek, till the very last lap when Dillon was able to get one spot ahead with a 21st-place finish. Although Ty Gibbs had a similarly resurgent story through his tournament run, the spotlight is on Dillon, as no one expected the 32nd seed to compete for a million dollars.

Not only is he preparing for a million-dollar cash grab, but Ty Dillon is also securing his future. Since 2020, Dillon has bounced around different teams in NASCAR, but finally, stability seems to be on the table. Kaulig Racing team president Chris Rice was effervescent after Dillon got through at Dover Motor Speedway.

Dillon has only one top ten in the 2025 season in Atlanta, with an average finish of 22.29. Despite the lack of impressive stats, Rice is content with Dillon for staying relevant nonetheless. Rice said after the Dover race: “It’s unbelievable. I told him at the beginning of the year, make them talk about you. That’s what they’re doing, they’re talking about him. Let’s go, Ty Dillon – final, final, final.”

With the support of sponsors like Sea Beds and Grizzly Nicotine Pouches, Ty Dillon can count on a longer full-time seat. He was immensely grateful to his benefactors after Sunday’s race: “Yeah, I didn’t know how it was gonna happen. I just kept believing that good things are gonna happen…I had a lot of people texting me and praying for me. I just knew that something good was gonna happen. God has opened up doors in this whole thing to navigate us to where we are. And I’ve been able to walk through them with confidence. ‘Cause this team gives it to me every day and every week. So a new something might happen…Never give up, and just take the opportunity that opened up. I’m just proud of what we have here.”

The opponent for the next round will be a tough one. Yet Ty Dillon is prepared nonetheless.

The glass slipper has to fit just one ‘last time’

Well, Ty Dillon has got it done so far. But for the last round, Cinderella’s stepmother may have extra tricks up her sleeve. That is because Ty Gibbs may be close to fetching his career’s first Cup Series victory. The 22-year-old Joe Gibbs Racing driver started 2025 on a dismal note, as all of his teammates soared ahead. However, the in-season tournament has helped turn his season around.

Since the seeding races began at Michigan International Speedway seven weeks ago, the 22-year-old hasn’t finished worse than 14th. In Dover, Gibbs masterfully beat Tyler Reddick despite both drivers pitting for fresh tires on lap 388. He finished fifth after gaining late-race separation from Reddick, who finished seven spots behind. Hence, Ty Dillon may be facing a tough battle against his namesake.

Dillon beat road course star Alex Bowman at Sonoma Raceway with a masterful move in the closing laps. And the upcoming round at Indianapolis Motor Speedway may allow him to wear the glass slipper again. A year ago, Dillon took 19th, and Gibbs placed 23rd at Indy, and Dillon also owns his only win in NASCAR at Indy, in the 2014 Xfinity Series. Hence, Dillon may be rightly sticking to the confidence he exuded before the Dover race: “If we make it through this round, we’ll be who we are and we’ll go to Indianapolis, a place I’ve won at in the past, and we’ll go give them hell for one last round.”

Indeed, we are waiting for Cinderella to give them hell for one last time. Now, we can only wait and see if Ty Dillon gets it done. Do you think the glass slipper will fit once again? Let us know in the comments!