2019 team preview: Germain Racing

Editor’s note: NASCAR.com continues its countdown of team previews for the Monster Energy Series season, ranked in order of best finish in last year’s owner standings. Today’s feature: Germain Racing and driver Ty Dillon.

Germain Racing

Manufacturer: Chevrolet

Engine: ECR Engines

Driver: Ty Dillon, No. 13

Crew chief: Matt Borland

2017 standings: Dillon competed in his second full season at the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series level and finished 27th in the standings. The No. 13 car was 29th in the owner standings.

What’s new: The biggest move has nothing to do with on-the-track maneuvers, but off-the-track location: Germain Racing relocated its operations to Welcome, North Carolina, to be closer to the source of its technical alliance, Richard Childress Racing. Previously, the Bob Germain-owned organization had been based in Mooresville, North Carolina, for the last decade.

Outlook: With Ty Dillon and Matt Borland entering their second season of partnership and a closer physical proximity to its technical alliance partner, it wouldn’t be surprising to see things move in a positive direction for Germain Racing this season.

DRIVER 

Ty Dillon, No. 13 GEICO Chevrolet: Dillon’s sophomore season in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in 2018 didn’t quite go as planned — his average finish actually worsened to 24.1 from 20.7 in his inaugural year at NASCAR’s highest level. Maybe that was because he was working on a new partnership with crew chief Matt Borland, or maybe that’s because he was trying to get adjusted to the then-new Camaro ZL1. One thing’s for certain: with a full season spent building chemistry with Borland and his shop moving to be closer to its technical alliance with the team that Dillon’s grandfather, Richard Childress, owns, things should improve. Highlights in 2018 included three laps led and a sixth-place finish in the July race at Daytona, along with a pair of 15th-place finishes at both Talladega stops, and a 13th-place showing at the April Texas race.

TEAM PREVIEWS
• Jan. 22: Assorted teams
• Jan. 23: Richard Petty Motorsports
• Jan. 24: Germain Racing
• Jan. 25: Leavine Family Racing
• Jan 28: Front Row Motorsports
• Jan. 29: JTG Daugherty Racing
• Jan. 30: Wood Brothers Racing
• Jan. 31: Roush Fenway Racing
• Feb. 1: Richard Childress Racing
• Feb. 4: Chip Ganasssi Racing
• Feb. 5: Hendrick Motorsports
• Feb. 6: Joe Gibbs Racing
• Feb. 7: Stewart-Haas Racing
• Feb. 8: Team Penske

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