Dillon has won three of his five ARCA starts. Last year, he was the fastest qualifier for his first ARCA race at Iowa Speedway. He finished second. The next day, his brother, Austin, won the Camping World trucks series race at Iowa.
"As a kid," Dillon said, "I've always loved to see how they race in the big packs [with] the big crashes and the wild finishes. To have my own wild finish and to win at Talladega is really cool."
Following Dillon's victory, Childress' smile was as wide as the Talladega track.
"This was really special when it's your grandson," he said. "We've won quite a few races here. Somebody asked me, 'What did that move look like at the end?' I said it looked like a classic Earnhardt move."
The late Dale Earnhardt Sr. won six Cup championships driving for Childress.
"[Dillon] really ran a smart race," Childress said. "He really studies racing hard. You can have a good car, but you've got to know what to do with it."
Dillon knows what to do with a quality car. After two ARCA races this year, he is second in points. He trails leader Bobby Gerhart, the veteran from Lebanon, Pa., by 10 points.
Winning in ARCA doesn't guarantee future success in Sprint Cup racing, but Ty Dillon looks like a young racer to keep an eye on. Brother Austin also is promising: He is seventh on the trucks points chart.
Cherry Hill's Tom Hessert finished sixth at Talladega. He is 12th in the points standings. The ARCA series will be at New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, N.J., May 22. ARCA returns to Pocono Raceway June 11.
NOT A TALLADEGA TANGO FAN
