Tony Stewart's ride will be Ty Dillon's for most of Sunday
Tony Stewart will be the driver of record in the No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway, but Ty Dillon will have the real responsibility for it, along with most of the seat time.
Stewart, who returned to the cockpit last weekend for the first time this year, will start Sunday's GEICO 500, but at the first available opportunity will turn the wheel over to Dillon.
By starting the race, Stewart gets the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver points for the event. And if Dillon wins, Stewart will be credited with the race victory, which could get Stewart into the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup in his final season.
Really, Stewart doesn't want to make the Chase via a Dillon victory. The three-time champion made that clear Friday at Talladega.
"I don't think I will feel good about it if I were to get a spot that way," Stewart said. "I know I wouldn't feel good about it. I think for me to make the Chase it needs to be because I ran the whole race and won the race. Not, started it and somebody else won it for me."
That said, Stewart absolutely wants Dillon to get as many points as possible.
Since Dillon will be in the No. 14 SHR Chevrolet for the vast majority of the weekend, the car is being prepared with him in mind, not Stewart.
Dillon was asked Friday what winning Sunday's GEICO 500 would mean to him.
"It would mean I won a Sprint Cup race and I would be pretty excited to begin with," said Dillon. "On top of that to be able to get Tony a step closer to being locked into the Chase would be really cool."
Dillon said he's going all out for the victory on Sunday and if he does, he's happy for Stewart to get the credit.
"As soon as I get strapped into that race car I'm planning on going to the front and hopefully winning the race," he said. "If it all comes together and we do win the race, I'm sure it will be a heck of a party and everybody is going to be happy."
