Ty Dillon divulges Denny Hamlin’s ‘villain’ persona nudges NASCAR drivers to further reveal their personalities

After securing a solid finish in last week's Quaker State 400, Kaulig Racing driver Ty Dillon fired playful shots at Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin. Following that, Dillon was recently featured in an interview with Cup Scene's YouTube channel and opened up about how Hamlin's villain persona reveals the driver's true colors.

During the Quaker State 400, a massive crash wrecked the #11 Toyota Camry XSE driver's chance at the $1 million prize. On lap 69 of the 260-lap race, Hamlin got off-kilter and spun out, causing havoc on the track. He collected nearly half of the cars on the track and ended his day in a DNF. Meanwhile, Dillon sailed through the wreck and finished the race inside the top ten drivers, securing a P8 finish.

Reflecting on the same, NASCAR analyst Kelly Crandall questioned Ty Dillon about the attention he got from last week's "I beat your favorite driver moment." Dillon explained:

"Yeah, for sure. It's been noticeable. I've been getting a lot of comments, calls, and even walking around here in Chicago, I feel like the fan enthusiasm is higher. I usually get a couple of "Hey, Ty," but now the fan interactions have been more enthusiastic. So, that's been fun."

"I think a lot of credit goes to Denny as well. He's leaned into the "Denny versus the World" thing over the last year or so and built up a bit of a villain role — and it's been fun. When drivers embrace the entertainment side of our role, it opens the door for other guys like me to show more of our personalities. Without Denny opening up a bit more to fans and the sport, there wouldn’t be as much opportunity for people to see me shine when we do well," he added.

After defeating Denny Hamlin in the in-season tournament, Ty Dillon is set to compete in the Challenge Round 2, the Grant 165 at Chicago Street Course, on Sunday, July 6, 2025. TNT Sports, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Ch. 90, and MAX will broadcast the 75-lap race live at 2 pm ET.

---

Cup Series driver Ty Dillon shared his experience with his team, Kaulig Racing

Earlier this year, NASCAR Cup Series driver Ty Dillon went on an interview with Big Play Sports Network. During the interaction, Dillon touched upon his experience with his new team, Kaulig Racing, compared to his previous teams so far in the 2025 season.

The 33-year-old joined the team for the 2025 season and got a full-time role to pilot the #10 Chevy Camaro ZL1. After a few sessions with the car, Dillon claimed the car to be one of the best-performing cars he has driven.

“This one has had the most positive impact on me outside the car and inside the car. First of all, the speed has been really good. The best speed of any race car I’ve ever driven in my career in the Cup Series. But the support from Matt [Kaulig] himself, the drive to win, and just the way he treats his people is second to none, and that makes the difference," Ty Dillon stated.

The Welcome, North Carolina, ranks 31st in the Cup Series points table with 274 points. Additionally, he has secured one top-ten finish at EchoPark Speedway in 18 starts this season.