Ty Dillon could deliver Tony Stewart a win, Chase eligibility at Talladega

Picture a scenario where a driver who otherwise wouldn’t have been eligible is in fact one of 16 drivers qualified for NASCAR’s playoffs, due solely to technically having won a regular season race even though they really didn’t earn the victory themselves.

That possibility would become an actuality should Tony Stewart win Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway; a race Stewart will start, but has already said he will not finish, instead giving way to substitute Ty Dillon at the first opportunity.

NASCAR has long credited the driver who starts a race as the driver of record and given the corresponding result. That includes a win, which most recently occurred when Aric Almirola was recognized as winning the 2007 Xfinity Series at the Milwaukee Mile, even though Denny Hamlin relieved Almirola and went on to victory.

But the above scenario has not yet occurred since NASCAR revised two years ago how drivers earn a Chase for the Sprint Cup berth, with a regular season victory virtually assuring a driver playoff eligibility provided they rank 30th or better in points. Which means Stewart, with Dillon’s assistance, could solidify his Chase position with a win Sunday.

“I don’t think I will feel good about it if I were to get a spot that way,” Stewart said Friday at Talladega. “I know I wouldn’t feel good about it. I think for me to make the Chase it needs to be because I ran the whole race and won the race -- not started it and somebody else won it for me.”

Stewart’s decision to only start the Geico 500 but not finish is so he doesn’t risk re-injury to his back, having suffered a burst fracture of his L1 vertebra in a January ATV accident. The three-time Cup Series champion returned just a week ago after missing eight races recuperating. During Stewart’s absence Dillon and Brian Vickers alternated driving the No. 14 car.

“It’s not going to be very glamorous on my part, but it’s functional to accomplish the goal that we need to and that’s meeting the surgeons halfway in saying they didn’t want us to run this race,” Stewart said. “We need the points and so we talked them into letting us to at least start the race.”

Dillon will handle the bulk of practice and qualify. On Sunday, Stewart plans to cede the wheel to the 24-year-old whenever the first caution period occurs. To accommodate Dillon, who will likely drive the majority of the laps Sunday, Stewart-Haas Racing installed the seat, belts and headrest Dillon normally uses.

“I want (Dillon) to be as comfortable as he can be,” Stewart said. “I’m going to do what I always do around here at the beginning of the race and just ride around in the back until we get the first caution.”

When Dillon take over for Stewart on Sunday, his plan is race as he would normally would.

“I haven’t started a race without the goal of winning my entire career,” Dillon said. “That is what my focus is. As soon as I get strapped into that race car I’m planning on going to the front and hopefully winning the race. If it all comes together and we do win the race, I’m sure it will be a heck of a party and everybody is going to be happy.”

And were Dillon to win, it just wouldn’t be a victory for himself.

“To be able to get Tony a step closer to being locked into the Chase would be really cool,” Dillon said.”