Ty Dillon to run NASCAR Clash for 23XI Racing
23XI Racing confirmed Wednesday afternoon that Ty Dillon will drive the No. 23 Toyota in the Feb. 9 Busch Clash at Daytona International Speedway.
Root Insurance will sponsor the car. The Busch Clash is the first event to kick off Speedweeks, running after 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday night.
The non-points event is the first chance for the team co-owned by Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan to shake down their equipment. The team’s primary driver, Darrell Wallace Jr., is not eligible to run the race, but Dillon earned a spot by winning a NASCAR Cup Series stage last season.
https://twitter.com/tydillon/status/1357049523399499777
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Dillon does not have a full-time ride this year following the shuttering of Germain Racing. However, he will compete in multiple events during Speedweeks, entering the Xfinity Series opener with Joe Gibbs Racing in the No. 54 Toyota and attempting to qualify for the Daytona 500 in the Gaunt Brothers No. 96 Toyota.
NASCAR adjusted the event's eligibility after qualifying was eliminated last season at the onset of the pandemic. Drivers eligible for the 2021 edition included 2020 pole winners (from the five races where traditional qualifying occurred); past Busch Clash or Daytona 500 winners; a Daytona 500 pole winner who ran full-time in 2020; playoff drivers from 2020; race winners from 2020; and 2020 stage winners.
Eligible drivers are:
1. Aric Almirola
2. Ryan Blaney
3. Alex Bowman
4. Clint Bowyer (not expected to compete)
5. Chris Buescher
6. Kurt Busch
7. Kyle Busch
8. William Byron
9. Cole Custer
10. Matt DiBenedetto
11. Austin Dillon
12. Ty Dillon
13. Chase Elliott
14. Denny Hamlin
15. Kevin Harvick
16. Jimmie Johnson (not expected to compete)
17. Erik Jones
18. Matt Kenseth (not expected to compete)
19. Brad Keselowski
20. Joey Logano
21. Ryan Newman
22. Tyler Reddick
23. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
24. Martin Truex Jr.
Kelly Crandall
Kelly has been on the NASCAR beat full-time since 2013, and joined RACER as chief NASCAR writer in 2017. Her work has also appeared in NASCAR.com, the NASCAR Illustrated magazine, and NBC Sports. A corporate communications graduate from Central Penn College, Crandall is a two-time George Cunningham Writer of the Year recipient from the National Motorsports Press Association.
Read Kelly Crandall's articles
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