Richard Childress Racing’s Ty Dillon was officially named the 2012 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Sunoco Rookie of the Year on Friday at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
The 20-year-old grandson of Richard Childress claimed the Sunoco rookie honors with his 25-place finish at the Homestead, Fla., facility following a season-long battle with two other drivers. Dillon entered the season finale race at Homestead with a 74-point lead in the rookie standings over Cale Gale and Ross Chastain.
The Sunoco Rookie of the Year award is calculated using a driver’s 14-best finishes and a vote by a Camping World Truck Series rookie of the year panel that considers a driver’s competitive abilities and interaction with other drivers and the media.
“This is awesome,” said Dillon. “I’m so proud of this entire No. 3 Bass Pro Shops team. They did a great job all year and because of all of their hard work, we won the 2012 Rookie of the Year. We made goals in the beginning of the year, and this was one of them. I’m excited to be able to keep this award in the RCR family another year and win it just like my brother did back in 2010.”
It is the third consecutive year that RCR has earned the year-end rookie award. Joey Coulter earned the 2011 Rookie of the Year award for RCR, and Ty’s older brother, Austin Dillon, claimed the honors in 2010 prior to winning the championship last year. RCR is the only team to win three consecutive Rookie of the Year awards in the Camping World Truck Series.
“For Ty to have won a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race in his rookie year and come down to Homestead with a chance to win the championship are great accomplishments in his rookie season,” said Richard Childress, president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing. “He’s continued the success he had last year after winning the ARCA Racing Series championship and, If not for some misfortune, he would be in an even better position for this year’s championship. But for him to win the rookie of the year in the Truck Series, after Joey Coulter did it last year and Austin did it in 2010, is a pretty cool deal for RCR, ECR and our family.”
Driving the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet for his first full season of competition in a NASCAR series, Dillon finished fourth in the championship point standings on the strength of one victory, three pole awards, seven top-five and 17 top-10 finishes. The Welcome, N.C., native also added the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards championship to his resume last season.
“I’m really proud of Ty and the whole No. 3 Bass Pro Shops team for all their hard work this season,” said crew chief Marcus Richmond. “It’s an honor to be part of such a great team and family like RCR.”
Dillon joins a list of former Camping World Truck Series Rookie of the Year winners that include his brother, Austin, and RCR teammates Coulter and Brendan Gaughan, in addition to Kurt Busch, Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards, Johnny Sauter and David Reutimann, among others.
The Sunoco Rookie of the Year award is presented at the annual NASCAR Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series Awards Banquet at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel on Monday, Nov. 19. SPEED will broadcast the banquet on Thursday, Nov. 29 from 8-10 p.m. Eastern Time.
RCR PR
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