After losing his full-time ride in the NASCAR Cup Series ahead of the 2021 season, Ty Dillon will once again get the opportunity to compete at NASCAR’s top level in 2022, piloting the No. 94 Chevrolet Camaro for GMS Racing, the organization announced on Sunday.
Dillon, who has competed in more than 160 races in the NASCAR Cup Series since his debut in 2014, brings a great deal of knowledge and experience to GMS Racing’s inaugural run in the NASCAR Cup Series. The Lewisville, North Carolina-native has also collected one victory in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, three in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, and nine in the ARCA Menards Series, where he was crowned champion in 2011.
“It’s such an honor to be able to drive for GMS Racing as they take the step into the NASCAR Cup Series for the first time and that they have chosen me as their driver for the future,” Dillon said in a team release. ” It’s been a challenging year off from racing full-time but I’m so excited to return. I don’t think that there is going to be another driver that is more hungry than I am next year to get back out there and prove what I am capable of in the Cup Series. I am excited for our future and am ready to get to work.”
Chevrolet will continue to serve as the organization’s manufacturer across all series, further strengthening a relationship that dates back to the organization’s start in 2011, when the team competed in the ARCA Menards Series. Over the last decade, every GMS Racing vehicle that has visited victory lane in ARCA and NASCAR has been a Chevrolet, a trend they hope to continue with success in the NASCAR Cup Series.
GMS Racing will be fielding the No. 94 Chevrolet Camaro for Dillon, a number that has great significance to Team President, Mike Beam. In 1995, Beam partnered with NASCAR Hall-of-Famer Bill Elliott to spearhead the efforts of Bill Elliott Racing, the team that fielded the No. 94 throughout the late 1990s. The original Bill Elliott Racing shop remains part of the GMS Racing campus today, allowing the team to look back to the team’s roots and past successes.
“We are excited to welcome Ty to the GMS Racing family. Going full-time cup racing in 2022 is a big step for us and I can’t think of a better driver than Ty to lead us into our first year in NASCAR’s top series,” said Beam.
The No. 94 Chevrolet Camaro will be featured as an alliance partner with Richard Childress Racing, one of the most established organizations in the NASCAR Cup Series garage, collecting six championships and over 200 victories between NASCAR’s top-three series. As part of the alliance, ECR Engines will be providing GMS Racing with Chevrolet power throughout the season.
Dillon and GMS Racing will be participating in the Next Gen test on Monday, October 11, and Tuesday, October 12 at Charlotte Motor Speedway’s ROVAL. Additional information on the team’s sponsorship and crew chief pairing will be announced at a later date.
“GMS is always looking forward and I believe this is the next step for the team in that process,” said Team Owner Maury Gallagher. “We have the goal to be a championship-caliber team in any series in which we compete, and I am excited to watch the team grow in the coming years.”
The 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season kicks off with the 64th Annual Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on February 20, 2022.
