Ty Dillon Returning to Kaulig Racing's Cup Series Program in 2026

Kaulig Racing is bringing Ty Dillon, the grandson of legendary car owner Richard Childress, back into the fold for the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series campaign.

In a Wednesday interview with Dave Moody on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90, Dillon, a native of Lewisville, North Carolina, confirmed he'd return to the No. 10 Chevrolet for the organization owned by successful entrepreneur Matt Kaulig.

"I'm excited to get out and announce that I'm going to be back full-time with Kaulig Racing again," Dillon said. "Just very excited for the opportunity to be a part of Kaulig Racing, racing with Matt Kaulig, Chris Rice, and Ty Norris, and just everybody there at the race team. We had a lot of fun last year. I think we definitely blew the expectations out of the water for what people thought we were going to do as a team, and looking to raise that level another step this year."

Sea Best Seafood, the company that anchored the sponsorship program for Dillon and Kaulig Racing this past season, will once again return to the organization for a campaign on the No. 10 Chevrolet.

"We are thrilled to continue our partnership with Kaulig Racing and Dillon for a third season," said Mark Frisch, Executive Vice President of Beaver Street Fisheries. "As a family-owned brand committed to quality and excellence, aligning with NASCAR's passionate fanbase allows us to connect with loyal consumers who share our values. We're proud to be part of this incredible journey and look forward to an exciting season ahead."

The company will adorn the No. 10 Chevrolet at Atlanta (February 22), Chicagoland (July 5), Iowa (August 9), Richmond (August 15), Daytona (August 29), Kansas (September 27), Charlotte's ROVAL (October 11), and Phoenix (October 18).

"Sea Best represents the best in American family-owned business, much like we are at Kaulig Racing," said Dillon. “Their seafood lineup offers endless options for experienced home chefs like my wife, Haley, as well as for beginners in the kitchen. I look forward to representing their brand on and off track once again, and there's no better place to start the season with Sea Best than Atlanta."

After his maiden full-time campaign as a NASCAR Cup Series crew chief in 2025 (with Dillon and Kaulig Racing), Andrew Dickeson returns to the top of the pit box to serve as the shot-caller for the 33-year-old driver.

After spending several years as a driver for Richard Childress Racing (RCR), moving up through the ranks, Dillon decided to take another path when arriving at NASCAR's top level, driving for Germain Racing from 2017 to 2020, until the organization closed its doors ahead of 2021.

Since that pivotal moment in his career, Dillon has jumped between NASCAR's National Series for different organizations, including Rackley WAR, Gaunt Brothers Racing, Joe Gibbs Racing, Petty GMS Motorsports, Spire Motorsports, and TMT Racing, before landing with Kaulig Racing on a part-time basis in 2024.

Following his successful part-time stint with the team, Dillon was promoted to a full-time seat in 2025, where he recorded a single top-10 finish (an eighth at EchoPark Speedway in June) and an incredible run in NASCAR's inaugural In-Season Tournament, where he faced off against Ty Gibbs in the finale at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, coming up several spots short.

"I think we have a lot that we can improve on, a lot that we can do, there's a lot of exciting things going on around our race team, and it'll be the first time in about six years that I've had the continuity of being able to work with the same guys, the same race team, the same manufacturer back-to-back in a long time," Dillon added. "This means a lot to me, and I'm very grateful."

The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series campaign begins with the pre-season exhibition event at Bowman-Gray Stadium on Sunday, February 1. Coverage will begin at 8:00 PM ET on FOX.

Photo: Dirk Bizub