Oregon native Darren Dilley ready to make Xfinity Series debut at Portland
PORTLAND, Ore. -- The inaugural NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Portland International Raceway on Saturday will have at least one Oregonian on the starting grid.
55-year-old Darren Dilley of Hillsboro, Ore. -- a local physical education teacher during the week -- is set to make his series debut at the Pacific Office Automation 147 in the No. 38 Ford for RSS Racing.
While he may be new to NASCAR, Dilley is no stranger to racing. Since 1990, Dilley has been competing in SCCA events all across the west coast. He has also competed in the SCCA runoffs on three separate occasions, with a best finish of fifth in the E Production class in the 2018 edition of the event at Sonoma Raceway.
In SCCA events, Dilley can be seen driving a Mazda RX-7. However, the much larger, heavier cars of the Xfinity Series are ones he’s never raced before.
But he can’t wait to represent the Portland area in NASCAR’s first national series visit to the track since the Truck Series last raced there in 2000.
“It’s an honor quite honestly to carry that banner,” Dilley said. “But it’s also an honor because NASCAR’s vetting process is so complete that they’re going to put the best people out there that they trust to be successful. I think they have confidence in me, the team has confidence in me. I’m excited to be that representative of the Northwest. I’m excited to compete against these guys, but I have realistic expectations.”
Dilley first learned of the opportunity to go stock car racing just before last Christmas, when his marketing director showed him a Facebook post from RSS Racing seeking drivers for the 2022 road course events. Once a deal was agreed upon, the search for sponsorship began. Almost immediately, several local companies jumped on the opportunity to sponsor the car.
So far, Dilley’s sponsors for the race include Willamette Valley Hops, Benchmade Knives, Hollywood Beverage, Aviation Gin, the Lucky Dog Racing League, and Rose City Distilling - nearly all of them being Portland-area companies.
“We were really surprised at how enthusiastic the partners were as a whole in support of NASCAR right here in the Northwest,” Dilley said.
To prepare for the race, Dilley attended the Xfinity Series events at Phoenix and Circuit of the Americas to get accommodated with the crew as well as get a seat fit. Dilley said he couldn’t think of a better group to surround himself with as he makes his first NASCAR start.
“Everybody at RSS Racing is just amazing,” Dilley said. “The whole team just let me immerse myself in it and ask any questions I needed.
“They really are wonderful people to work with and just be around. [They’re] just welcoming and willing to share as much information as they can once they knew you were on board.”
So how does Dilley think he’ll fare in his first outing? When it comes to his expectations for the race, he’s keeping them realistic.
“I think really since we’ve never been in that car before, a realistic finish would be a top 25,” Dilley said. “I think if you shot for a higher number in your first time out you’d be hard-pressed to meet it. If we got in the top 15 I’d be ecstatic but I think a top 25 is a realistic goal.”
Dilley also said he’s hopeful that a good run at P.I.R. will translate into more opportunities to race for the team in the future. But for now, the goal is simple: bring home a respectable finish for the team and everyone who’s backing him.
“I’m excited for our team,” Dilley said. “I’m excited for our community, and I can’t wait to get out there with those guys.”