"I know he wanted to battle and be a warrior": Ty Dillon delivers his verdict on 'sick' Josh Williams after taking over in Las Vegas

NASCAR driver Ty Dillon stepped in as a last-minute replacement for Xfinity driver Josh Williams during The LiUNA! at Las Vegas Motor Speedway after Williams fell ill following the conclusion of Stage 1.

Williams has reportedly been dealing with a respiratory issue, having pushed through illness in the previous two race weekends. However, at Las Vegas, the #11 Kaulig Racing driver was unable to continue, prompting Dillon to take over and finish the race for the team.

Ahead of the race, Ty Dillon was asked whether he thought a substitute might be necessary given Williams’ condition. The Cup Series driver shared his thoughts on the situation (via Frontstretch).

"“Yeah, there was a potential for it,” Dillon told Frontstretch on if he knew he would be needed to substitute. “And I know Josh [Williams] wanted to battle and be a warrior there. I think he’s just too sick. So hopefully he gets better. But I knew there was potential for it, and then I got a text, ‘Got to get to the pit box pretty quick.'”

Ty Dillon finished the race in P29 after gaining a few positions after losing several laps while making the driver change. After the race ended, Richard Childress' grandson reflected on his performance, saying he felt 'glad' to be able to step in for Williams.

“I hate I couldn’t make more out of it, but it was a tough seat to fit in — pretty, pretty tight,” Dillon said. “But I’m glad I was able to step in and finish it out for these guys, and I know anybody else would do the same thing for me too.”

Meanwhile, Ty Dillon, who pilots the #10 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in the Cup Series, will compete in the Pennzoil 400 on Sunday at 3:30 PM Eastern time.

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"Thank goodness we have Ty Dillon": Chris Rice explains Josh Williams is 'under the weather' following driver swap at Las Vegas

Kaulig Racing President Chris Rice provided an update on Josh Williams' condition after he was replaced by Ty Dillon during The LiUNA Xfinity Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. As mentioned above, Williams has been battling a respiratory illness for weeks, was unable to continue after Stage 1, leading to Dillon stepping in to finish the race.

“No, I don’t think he’s feeling much better,” Kaulig President Chris Rice said. “I mean, you look at it, we all went through the flu probably. But coming over to Phoenix and flying back home, then coming back over here, you can just tell he’s under the weather. I seen him last night, and talked to him."

In addition to addressing Williams’ situation, Rice also expressed his gratitude for having a driver of Dillon’s caliber available as a backup. He emphasized the importance of having experienced talent on standby, ensuring the team remains competitive in unexpected situations like this.

“Thank goodness we have Ty Dillon. Him and Josh are about the same size. So the main thing is Josh getting better, that’s the key. We don’t wanna wreck. We just wanna make sure that we finish the races.” Rice added

Kaulig Racing's two other Xfinity drivers Daniel Dye and Christian Eckes finished the race in P12 and P13 respectively.