Richard Childress' grandson Ty Dillon on standby for Josh Williams amid pneumonia struggle

Kaulig Racing recently announced that Ty Dillon will stay on standby for NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Josh Williams, who is battling pneumonia. The younger grandson of NASCAR Team owner Richard Childress will sit in for practice and qualifying for Saturday’s Xfinity race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Williams, who has been dealing with his illness since early March, had to leave last week's race after Stage 1 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Dillon jumped in on short notice and finished 29th.

For this week's Hard Rock Bet 300, Dillon will drive the No. 11 Chevrolet in case Williams is unable to continue. Fox Sports' Bob Pockrass shared a tweet about the same and wrote:

"Josh Williams is battling pneumonia so Ty Dillon will practice and qualify the Kaulig No. 11 Xfinity car. Williams will start the race with Ty Dillon on standby."

Williams must start the race himself to earn race points. However, if he cannot finish, Dillon will step in mid-race. The Kaulig Racing statement read,

"Josh Williams will remain out of the No. 11 Chevrolet during NASCAR Xfinity Series practice and qualifying due to his continued struggles with pneumonia. Ty Dillon will fill in. Williams will take the green flag at Homestead-Miami Speedway with Dillon on standby for a potential in-race swap."

Dillon currently drives full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series for Kaulig Racing. The No. 10 Chevy driver drove for this grandfather's team, for Richard Childress Racing in the Series during the 2010s and has won one Xfinity race. His only win at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway came in 2014.

The Hard Rock Bet 300 is scheduled to begin at 4:00 p.m. ET on March 22.

"This year is shaping up to be a great one" - Ty Dillon on first full-time Cup season since 2023

Ty Dillon is currently ranked 26th in the NASCAR Cup points standings. The 33-year-old's best finish was 14th place at the season-opening Daytona 500.

The No. 10 Kaulig Racing driver's primary sponsor for this season, Sea Best, will support the team for 20 races. The Jacksonville, Florida-based seafood company partnered with the team for one race in 2024. In a team press release in January this year, Ty Dillon talked about his upcoming campaign and said (via kauligracing.com),

"This year is shaping up to be a great one. Sea Best joined our team for a race last season, and to have them back in a larger role for 2025 is exciting. I look forward to representing their brand on and off the track, and there’s no better place to start the season together than at the return to Bowman Gray Stadium."

His last full-time season in the NASCAR Cup Series was two years ago with Spire Motorsports. He finished the 2023 season with five top-20 finishes and was ranked 32nd overall. Dillon made five Cup starts with Kaulig last year.

Over the last 12 years in the Cup Series, Dillon has raced for many teams including Richard Childress Racing, Germain Racing and Petty GMS. He has managed to finish in the top 10 only seven times so far.