Familiar Faces With A Fresh Push: Ty Dillon and Sea Best Back in Kaulig’s No. 10 for 2026

If you spend enough time in or around the NASCAR world, you learn pretty quickly that stability is a luxury few can afford. It’s a cutthroat business where “what have you done for me lately” isn’t just a cliché. It’s the law of the land. That’s what makes Wednesday’s announcement from Kaulig Racing feel like more than just a press release. It feels like a statement of belief.

Ty Dillon is coming back. The 33-year-old wheelman will pilot the No. 10 Chevrolet full-time in the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season, bringing familiar partners and a familiar voice on the radio with him. For a driver who has spent the last few years grinding to find a permanent home, fighting for every inch of asphalt he could get, this news is a breath of fresh air. It’s the chance to stop looking over his shoulder and start looking toward Victory Lane.

A Vote of Confidence for Dillon

When Kaulig Racing confirmed that Dillon would return to the No. 10 seat, they weren’t just filling a roster spot. They were doubling down on a relationship that has shown serious sparks of potential. The team confirmed that Sea Best, the Jacksonville-based seafood company that has stuck by Dillon’s side, will be on board as a primary sponsor for eight races.

“I am incredibly grateful for another opportunity to run full-time in the Cup Series and honored to do it with the men and women at Kaulig Racing,” Dillon said. And you have to believe him. In a sport where rides evaporate overnight, getting the nod for another full season is monumental. It “means a lot to me personally,” he added, a sentiment that hints at the emotional toll the silly season grind can take on a driver.

Chemistry on the Box

One of the most underrated aspects of this announcement is the return of crew chief Andrew Dickeson. In modern NASCAR, the bond between a driver and his crew chief is everything. It’s a marriage that plays out at 180 miles per hour. You need a shorthand, a trust that goes beyond data and setups.

By keeping Dickeson paired with Dillon, Kaulig is betting on continuity. They aren’t starting from scratch in 2026. They are opening a notebook they’ve already been writing in. That familiarity will be crucial when the haulers unload at Daytona. They know what the car needs, they know how to communicate under fire, and they know how to navigate the inevitable rough patches of a 36-race season.

The Fire from the In-Season Challenge

We can’t talk about Dillon’s tenure at Kaulig without bringing up the run that turned heads across the entire industry. The 2025 In-Season Challenge wasn’t just a gimmick; it was a pressure cooker, and Dillon thrived in it.

He didn’t just participate. He went on a Cinderella run that had the whole garage talking. He clawed his way through the bracket, beating drivers with arguably faster equipment, and found himself in the final showdown at the Brickyard. Facing off against Ty Gibbs for a cool $1 million prize at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Dillon drove his heart out.

Sure, he came up just short, with Gibbs taking the cash. But that performance proved something vital: when the money is on the line, and the spotlight is hottest, Dillon can deliver. That runner-up finish likely did more for his stock than a dozen mid-pack finishes ever could. It showed fight. It showed grit. And you better believe he’s carrying the hunger from that near-miss into 2026.

A Veteran Milestone Approaches

It’s strange to think of the younger Dillon brother as a seasoned veteran, but the numbers don’t lie. Since breaking into the Cup Series in 2014, he has been through the wars. He’s seen the cars change, the rules shift, and the competition get stiffer. Looking ahead to the 2026 schedule, Dillon is on pace to make his 300th Cup Series start on July 5 at Chicagoland Speedway.

That is a massive number. It puts him in a bracket of experience that you simply cannot buy. He has evolved from a rookie trying to make a name for himself outside of his family’s shadow into a legitimate professional who understands the nuances of long-run racing.

Final Thoughts

Kaulig Racing isn’t hiring a project; they are retaining a professional. As the No. 10 team prepares for 2026, the pieces are all there. They have the sponsorship, they have the leadership on the pit box, and they have a driver with 300 starts’ worth of wisdom and a chip on his shoulder. The silly season questions are answered. Now, it’s time to race.