Early on in the Round of 12 playoff race at Kansas Speedway, a Lap 1 caution mired up the start. Forcing the issues early on in the race, the cars on the tail end of the field went three wide to gain extra position. Among the aggressors was Richard Childress’ grandson Ty Dillon driving the #16 car.

Going into turn 3, after going three wide, the #21 checked up while exiting the corner. However, Dillon wasn’t able to adjust quickly enough and bumped into the back of Harrison Burton, which led to a pile-up. Josh Berry and Chris Buescher were some of the big names involved in the crash, but it was Chase Elliott who dodged a bullet.

Starting the race on the rear end of the field due to an unapproved engine adjustment, Elliott had to make early gains. Like the rest of the drivers on the tail end, the HMS star drove up the racetrack, gaining early momentum. And his choice of lane certainly helped him avoid the early chaos. His #6 Chevy did get a few bumps and bangs, but he was still up and running.

“It got the fender; the Goodyear is not all the way gone. It definitely hit it […] nice and square,” Chase Elliott’s crew chief Alan Gustafson conveyed this message on the radio. However, the Hendrick Motorsports fans were livid with Ty Dillon’s antics that nearly cost Elliott a playoff race. Many of them took to social media, questioning his return to a full-time ride with Kaulig Racing for 2025.

Fans pin the blame on Ty Dillon for causing an early wreck

The former Spire Motorsports driver isn’t one of the rookie drivers who is short on experience competing in a high-octane playoff race. Despite running in 244 Cup races, Dillon wasn’t able to check up and initiated a crash. Josh Berry was the one who came out the worst, as he had to forfeit his car after heavy damages. Reacting to this early race carnage, a fan replied, “Ty Dillon what are you doing.”

Daniel Hemric, driving the #31 Kaulig Racing car, will be the one taking the hit to accommodate Dillon’s return to full-time racing. Interestingly, Hameric has equaled Ty Dillon’s career top 10 results (5) in a single season with 7 races left to go. But, for some reason, Hemric wasn’t seen fit to continue in the full-time capacity next year. Having witnessed Dillon’s muck-up early in the race, this fan argued, “Kaulig replacing an Xfinity champion with a guy who can’t even make it through lap 1 without wrecking 💀”

NASCAR racing is indeed tough for drivers who do not have the backing of bug sponsors or a racing family. In Dillon’s case, his grandfather Richard Childress does help him find the opportunities to race at the top level. But, for some race fans, he just isn’t cut out for the task and is lucky to hail from a decorated racing family. Throwing a dig at his return to full-time ride, a user on X wrote, “Sure. Make this guy full time cup. Smh.”

There are plenty of race car drivers who have struggled to stay afloat at the Cup level. Corey LaJoie and Harrison Burton are the unfortunate examples of 2024. However, an ardent Matt Dibenedetto fan was in disbelief to see Ty Dillon of all securing a full-time opportunity for 2025. “How does Ty Dillon get nascar rides while @mattdracing doesn’t get those opportunities. It’s ridiculous!”

Meanwhile, some of the fans couldn’t believe the luck that 7-time champ Jimmie Johnson has had this year racing in the Cup Series. Call it dumb luck or just being at the wrong place at the wrong time, Johnson was inches away from yet another DNF. Thankfully, he was able to maneuver his race car away from the traffic and survive the crash. “Another lap 1 crash for Jimmie lol.”

Perhaps it’s too early to judge what the 2025 season might look like for Dillon. But the eyes will be on Chase Elliott to see if he manages a good outing after being put to a test.