Gaunt Brothers Racing has named Ty Dillon as its driver for the 63rd running of the Daytona 500 Feb. 14 at Daytona International Speedway.
The 28-year-old from Lewisville, North Carolina, will make his 163rd career NASCAR Cup Series start upon qualifying for The Great American Race. Dillon will drive the No. 96 Bass Pro Shops/Black Rifle Coffee Company Toyota Camry, marking his first points-paying start behind the wheel of a Toyota.
“Gaunt Brothers Racing has given me a great opportunity to compete in the Daytona 500 and I couldn‘t be happier,” Dillon said. “I love superspeedway races and the Daytona 500 is the biggest of them all. Toyota has certainly proven itself in our sport and in the Daytona 500. I‘m looking forward to racing with them and reuniting with Bass Pro Shops and Black Rifle Coffee Company.”
Dillon is the 2011 ARCA Menards Series champion. He has 10 career NASCAR Cup Series starts at Daytona with three top-10 finishes, including a fourth-place drive in the 2019 Coke Zero Sugar 400.
Gaunt Brothers Racing has put particular emphasis on its superspeedway program in 2021. The team will unload a brand-new Toyota Camry for Dillon at Daytona with an engine built by Toyota Racing Development, U.S.A. (TRD).
“The best way to get a good start to your season is to have a good finish in the Daytona 500,” said Marty Gaunt, president, Gaunt Brothers Racing. “We‘ve got a talented driver in Ty Dillon with a strong TRD engine plugged into the best equipment available. Together with Toyota, Bass Pro Shops and Black Rifle Coffee Company, we‘re ready to compete and surprise some people.”
