July 15, 2022 | By Lee Spencer

Ty Dillon to part ways with Petty GMS at season's end

Ty Dillon will not return to Petty GMS Racing next season. 

The news comes just days after Tyler Reddick announced he would be leaving Dillon’s grandfather’s racing organization—Richard Childress Racing—at the end of the 2023 season. 

Dillon, 30, tweeted his updated status on Friday:

“I am grateful for the opportunity to drive the No. 42 for Petty GMS this year. However, at the conclusion of the 2022 Cup Series season, we have mutually agreed to go our separate ways. I’m looking forward to what is next in the future.”

Fifteen minutes later, Petty GMS released the following statement:

"Petty GMS and Ty Dillon have mutually agreed to part ways following the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season. We are appreciative of what Ty has done this year to help grow Petty GMS. As we continue the season, we remain focused on strong runs and getting the No. 42 Chevy Camaro to victory lane. We wish Ty all the best in the future.”

As a competitor, Dillon has been a fixture in the NASCAR garage since he was 18. His first full season of racing came in the Camping World Truck Series in 2012. After continued improvement in trucks with three wins 16 top fives, 29 top 10s in 44 races in two seasons and a personal best finish of second on the tour, he advanced to the Xfinity Series.

The affable driver won a race in his first full season in Xfinity. In three years, he never finished worse than fifth in points. But the Cup Series has proven to be a struggle for Dillon since graduating to NASCAR’s top tour in 2017. Certainly, Dillon didn’t have the best equipment during his time with Germain Racing. In four seasons, he produced two top-fives—both on restrictor-plate tracks—and six top 10s.

Last October, Mike Beam, principal of Petty GMS Racing, announced Dillon would drive the No. 42 Chevy. In 19 starts, Dillon’s sole top 10 result came at the dirt race at Bristol Motor Speedway. He is currently 27th in the Cup standings. 

While growing pains are expected during the first year of a new organization, Dillon’s stats pale in comparison to his teammate Erik Jones, who is 17th in the standings with two top-five finishes and six top10s. Jones has led 61 laps this season. Dillon has led one.

Although Jones has yet to release his plans for 2023, he expects to remain with Petty GMS.

“We're getting close,” Jones said at the June 26 Nashville race. “Obviously, I've been in talks with Petty GMS now for about a month, I guess, at this point. So just kind of finishing things up. You know, back and forth on all the little stuff, right, that makes a difference. And so we're going through that, but I feel like we're getting close.” 

As for Dillon’s replacement, Noah Gragson’s name was mentioned last season when GMS first sought out a charter for their Cup effort. Gragson, who turned 24 on Friday, has seven wins in 119 Xfinity Series starts. He advanced to the NXS Championship 4 last season with a career-high finish of third. He’s currently fifth in the NXS standings after NASCAR fined him for his actions at Road America, where Gragson deliberately turned his car into Sage Karam and triggered a 13-car wreck.

Still, after two seasons in trucks and four years in Xfinity, Gragson remains one of the most promising Cup candidates and by far one of the most colorful personalities.