Roulette Recap follows a randomly selected driver throughout a race to break down their efforts. There is no telling ahead of time how the race will go. The driver could face calamity on the opening lap or start from the rear and win the race. With that, may the odds be ever in the driver’s favor.
Clean Harbors 250
The last race of the regular season for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series was Richmond Raceway. Ty Dillon has 73 truck races over nine seasons under his belt, however, this was his first time in the series at the track.
His 2024 season has seen its fair share of highs and lows. The on-track low was a DNF in the season opened at Daytona International Speedway. His high came in a top-10 finish at Darlington Raceway.
One could say consistent has been the theme of Dillon’s season. He has an average start of 19.1 and average finish of 19.7. Richmond continued that theme. Despite sitting ninth in practice, he went on to qualify for the Clean Harbors 250 in P19.
Heading to the green flag, crew chief Shane Wilson thanked the team, then encouraged Dillon stating, “We brought a better piece this week.”
Dillon also thanked his team and said, “Every stop matters. You never know what can happen.”
Stage 1
The green waved and Dillon immediately found himself bottom of three. However, he wasn’t alone – throughout the field, trucks were three-wide.
Lap 2 saw him jump to P15, and spotter Freddie Kraft said, “Set ’em up…let ’em do the work.”
Jack Garcia worked his way around Dillon, bumping him back a spot. However ahead of the two, Stewart Friesen was trying to cause some chaos on the three-quarter-mile track.
Lap 8 had Rajah Caruth shoving Dillon’s No. 25 into the outside wall, which resulted in a multi-lap, door-to-door battle between the two drivers. As a result, Dillon settled into P17.
Five laps later, Dillon radioed in, “Really loose. No forward drive.” After another 10 lap run, Dillon noted he would need “a trackbar adjustment or something,” as he was still “really loose.” As he delivered this information, he fell to P21.
Over the next 25 laps, Dillon maintained his position until Conner Jones got around him on Lap 39. Meanwhile, Kraft gave a heads up on the leader who was closing in with 30 to go in the stage.
The benefit Dillon had was, as he battled traffic, leader Ty Majeski was also being slowed down by traffic.
On Lap 50, the leader was in his mirror in a three-wide battle. Dillon attempted to use that time to put some distance between his truck and Majeski’s.
True Lucky Dog
Immediately after he was put a lap down, Matt Mills slammed the outside wall and stalled in the middle of the track. Then, with this caution, Dillon truly was the Lucky Dog and was awarded his lap back.
Dillon reported he was still too free and needed some major adjustments. Once the team was back on the lead lap, Wilson brought his driver in for much-needed trackbar changes.
Dillon returned to the track in P21 with seven laps remaining in the opening stage.
Wilson stated, “The goal here is to take care of it. There will be a little bit of action up front.”
Indeed, Dillon had to work hard to take care of it. Drivers throughout the field were taking their trucks four-wide and banging doors like pin balls. He finished where he re-started and was ready for fuel and fresh tires.
Stage 2
The start of the second stage saw Dillon in P21, with some encouragement from Wilson, “We got you snugged up a bit. Let’s try to capitalize!”
Within a lap, he sat bottom of three and had moved to P16. Another lap saw him gain two more spots.
The movement continued. By Lap 84, he was knocking on the door of the top 10. Kraft noted, “I believe you’re first on new tires.” That comment propelled Dillon into P10 on Lap 85, and P9 on Lap 86.
The next truck was that of Matt Crafton, and on Lap 91, Kraft noted, “Nothing out back. Set him up.” Two laps later, Dillon worked his way around the crafty veteran.
Dillon was quiet on the radio throughout all this movement. He maintained P8 until Tyler Ankrum, who was on a tear through the field, passed him on Lap 113.
Majeski worked around Dillon with 14 remaining in the second stage. Sitting P11, one lap later, the caution waved as Crafton was spun. Dillon noted, “Much better.”
The talk immediately shifted to a similar call as earlier or something different. Wilson called his driver to pit road, but Dillon immediately yelled, “I’m staying!” He followed up with, “I wanted to do something different here.”
That different would come with Dillon in P1 and six laps remaining in the stage. With the green flag, he immediately found himself middle of four and then top of three. He then dropped like a rock to P18. After another three-wide situation, he was running P20.
Once the stage shook out, he was scored P21. Wilson brought his driver in for tires, fuel, and adjustments.
Stage 3
Dillon started the final stage in P19, but immediately, the caution waved for a huge stack up on the back stretch. Dillon was shoved into the No. 5 of Dean Thompson.
Kraft noted a potential “crease” but the team didn’t see a hole in the front, and Wilson opted to keep Dillon on track in P17.
After a lengthy clean up, the racing finally resumed on Lap 166. The next caution waved two laps later as Lawless Alan went for a spin. Leading up to that, Dillon was stuck in a three-wide situation but maintained P17.
Before the race could resume, sprinkles paid a visit. It was a small cell and very light, so, fortunately, it did not interfere with the action on track.
The next restart came with 73 to go and Dillon running P16. Dillon was running top of three and hit the outside wall hard on the backstretch. He maintain P16 though and even gained a spot in the chaos.
He worked up to P13 but then Jones brought out the caution as he stalled on track. The tem debated strategy but opted to remain on track and move to P11.
It was once again a three- and four-wide situation for the No. 25, and with that, he fought his way back into the top 10. Kraft reminded his driver, “Stay disciplined. Hit your marks.”
He maintained P9 until Crafton snuck around with 52 to go and claimed P9. Dillon dropped out of the top 10 one lap later when William Sawalich took P10.
As Caruth and Daniel Dye were battling, Dillion took advantage to reclaim P10, but Caruth immediately took it away from him.
40 to Go
With 40 to go, Dillon was solidly holding onto P11. However, as his tires started to wear, he fell to P12 as Connor Zilisch got around him.
On Lap 224, Dillon was running P12 when the caution waved for a spinning Kaden Honeycutt. Wilson immediately got an update from his driver. He brought him to pit road for the final stop of the night and returned him to the track in P13 with 20 to go.
After a hard-charging, three-wide, one-lap fight, Dillon found himself in P10. Over the next lap, he gained two more spots.
Kraft was encouraging his driver as to the tire situation, which Dillon was to the good.
Taking 17 to go, Dillon jumped to P7 and was just behind the No. 17 of Taylor Gray. But, before anymore ground could be made, Zilisch and Bret Holmes got into each other and brought out the caution.
Wilson immediately told his driver, “Good job! You might be able to get a couple more of them here.”
With eight to go, drivers took the green flag and, despite bumping and banging, Dillon only lost one spot.
He lost P8 to Dye with two to go, and immediately radioed in, “I have no power.”
But, Dillon held on and brought it home, matching his season best finish of P9.
Sponsor Shoutout + Driver & Team Socials
NASCAR fans know sponsors make the sport go ’round. We want to give a shoutout to Rackley Roofing and W.A.R. Shocks who played a huge part of the weekend for Ty and the No. 25 team.
Be sure to give Ty Dillon (Facebook, Instagram, X) and Rackley W.A.R. (Facebook, Instagram, X) a follow to keep up with the latest news from the driver and team.
