Ty Dillon earns maiden Nationwide Series win at Indianapolis

Ty Dillon won the NASCAR Nationwide Series race Saturday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Dillon’s first career victory in NASCAR’s second-level circuit.

Dillon, 22, drives the No. 3 Chevrolet for the team owned by his grandfather, Richard Childress, one of NASCAR’s leading team owners.

Dillon’s brother Austin, 24, won the Nationwide Series championship in 2013. Austin Dillon this year moved up to NASCAR’s premier Sprint Cup Series driving for Richard Childress Racing.

Three Cup drivers who also compete in the Nationwide Series finished behind Ty Dillon: Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth and Kevin Harvick.

“The car they gave me was awesome,” Dillon said after he parked his Chevy on the strip of bricks at the finish line — a holdover from the century-old track’s former surface — and did a celebratory burnout.

When the field had its final restart following a caution period with 24 laps left in the 100-lap Lilly Diabetes 250, Dillon passed Busch for the lead and never surrendered it.

Dillon “got the lead and it was over from there,” said Busch, who finished nearly one second behind Dillon in his No. 54 Toyota. “I never had the car or the opportunity to stay up front.”

Childress said he was “doing a lot of praying” as his grandson held off Busch in the final laps. “It’s a great day for RCR, Ty Dillon, the whole family,” Childress said.

Dillon’s victory at the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway came in his 31st career start in the Nationwide Series.