Ty Dillon will return full-time to the NASCAR Cup Series field in 2025.
Dillon, who has made four Cup starts for Kaulig Racing this season, will join the team and become a teammate of AJ Allmendinger. He will take on his first full Cup schedule since the 2020 season.
As part of the move, Kaulig Racing will make a number change. The team will release the rights to the No. 31, which Daniel Hemric controlled this season. Kaulig Racing will acquire the rights to the No. 10 for 2025 and beyond.
"Ty has done a really great job for us this year in our No. 16 car, competing in a limited schedule," said team owner Matt Kaulig in a statement.
"He has been consistent each time he gets in the car and has really helped our program grow this season. We think he will be instrumental in continuing our Cup program in alliance with Richard Childress Racing."
🚨 @tydillon will drive the team’s No. 10 Chevy full-time in the 2025 @NASCAR Cup Series season. 🚨
The team will release the rights to the No. 31 at the conclusion of the 2024 season and acquire the No. 10 for 2025. pic.twitter.com/kJFhDVHKAu
— Kaulig Racing (@KauligRacing) September 28, 2024
Dillon previously competed full-time in Cup for six seasons. He joined Germain Racing in 2017 and remained with the team until 2020, accounting for two top-five finishes and six top-10s. He then joined Petty GMS Motorsports -- now Legacy Motor Club -- in 2022.
Dillon's final full season in Cup was 2023. He drove for Spire Motorsports as the team struggled with consistency. Carson Hocevar then took over the No. 77 for 2024.
The North Carolina native moved to the Craftsman Truck Series for the 2024 season. He drove the No. 25 Chevrolet Silverado for Rackley W.A.R. during the first 18 races of the season.
However, the team announced before Kansas that Dillon would move into a driver coach role while Dawson Sutton took over the No. 25.
Dillon will make one more Cup start for Kaulig this season. He will compete in Sunday's race at Kansas Speedway while preparing for his full-time move next season.
"I am incredibly grateful for another opportunity to run full-time in the Cup Series, and to be able to do it with the men and women at Kaulig Racing means a lot to me personally," Dillon said in a press release. "They gave me a chance this year to go out and prove myself in a handful of starts.
"The team and I were able to connect early on and we put together a few strong runs in the No. 16. I'm really looking forward to what 2025 brings with this team. We have a bright future ahead of us and we're going to give it our all each and every race next season."