Ty Dillon, who has advanced to the final round of the in-season tournament, weighed in on the ongoing charter lawsuit involving 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports recently. He also explained the general uncertainty that NASCAR drivers have to deal with, while sharing his thoughts on what it must feel like for Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick to compete with such a huge cloud hanging over them.
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Dillon admitted he has never faced a situation like this, but believes the two drivers are fully focused on racing. “It’s another week for them, and they trust Denny [Hamlin], they trust their owner,” he said.
“I don’t think they would want to go anywhere else right now… And they’re hoping this thing works out, and I feel like it will. I think it’s going to work out for everybody pretty solid,” he added. According to Dillon, both Wallace and Reddick have enough experience to keep their heads down and continue delivering results.
“I know Bubba and Tyler for sure are just going to keep doing their thing. They don’t get too worked up about much, either one of them. And this whole sport is a cloud of uncertainty all the time,” added Dillon, before explaining why he felt so.
Dillon pointed out that while many drivers operate on one-year contracts, even multi-year deals offer little security.
“People get shipped off those all the time. So, it’s just kind of another day, and December 1st is going to be a big thing for everybody. And I’m excited just as anybody to see how it plays out,” said the No. 10 Kaulig Racing Driver.
Both 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports have relied on NASCAR’s charter system, which guarantees race entries and provides major financial advantages. However, both teams filed a lawsuit last year after rejecting NASCAR’s proposed new charter agreement.
Their case suffered a major blow last week when the Fourth Circuit Court denied their request for an en banc hearing, meaning the full bench of judges would not reconsider the case. This decision upheld an earlier ruling from a three-judge panel that overturned the preliminary injunction protecting their charter status.
Without that safeguard, the teams risk losing millions in race earnings collected this season. They would be forced to qualify on speed for every event, with no guaranteed starting spots.