Editors Note: A spokesperson for GMS Racing told CATCHFENCE.com Monday (February 2) that they have added a race to Brandon Jones’s schedule this season. CATCHFENCE.com is working to determine which race has been absorbed from the Dillon brothers schedule.
CHARLOTTE, North Carolina — While both Austin and Ty Dillon will campaign for championship runs in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and XFINITY Series respectively, both Richard Childress Racing (RCR) drivers will compete collectively in seven NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races for GMS Racing.
GMS Racing, formally Gallagher Racing will field a full-time entry for Spencer Gallagher and a 16-race program with RCR driver Brandon Jones. The addition of seven races for the Dillon brothers will fill the void left by Jones’s gap, assembling two-full time truck programs.
Ty Dillon will make his debut with GMS Racing at Daytona International Speedway next month in the season-opening race. He’ll return the following Saturday as part of a doubleheader at Atlanta Motor Speedway on March 7. He’ll return in May at Charlotte Motor Speedway before closing out his final planned truck race in his third start in the Mudsummer Classic at Eldora Speedway.
“I’m pumped up for the opportunity to run four truck races with them,” said Ty Dillon Thursday at the NASCAR Media Tour. “GMS Racing is doing a great job, they have some awesome trucks. They still have some of the trucks that I raced when I was in (the) truck series, same chassis numbers. I think the opportunity to win some races there is going to be big.”
The younger brother, Ty, will have an extremely busy speedweeks from Daytona as he’ll compete in not only the February 20 NextEra Energy Resources 250, but also the XFINITY Series opener, February 21 and attempt to qualify for the Daytona 500. Kyle Busch pulled off the same feat last season earning two top-fives and a top-20 finish in the “Great American Race.”
The task is tall, but the former ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards champion says it’s something he’s given a lot of thought.
“It’s always been a dream of mine to be racing in every single series every weekend, kinda like a Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski,” explained Dillon. “And to be able to do it at Daytona also kind checks off my bucket list to start the Daytona 500. To do that all in one weekend will be huge for me.”
Austin Dillon, the 2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion will make his first start with GMS Racing at Pocono Raceway where he’s the defending champion. Two weeks later he’ll compete at Michigan International Speedway then New Hampshire Motor Speedway on September 26.
The six-time winner insisted he wants to join his brother on the starting grid at Eldora Speedway but hasn’t finalized those plans yet.
The knowledge and resources the Dillon brothers bring to GMS Racing will be extremely beneficial. Despite some strong showings, the young team is still winless. Ty Dillon feels that he and his brother can strengthen the organization as a whole.
“I’ve never really split a ride like this, so it will be the first time for us to do that and kind of share information and help a team outside RCR,” said Dillon. “I think we’re both looking forward to that opportunity to get better and to better a team outside RCR.”
Ty Dillon also said that Rheem will sponsor the seven truck races.
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.
