Previously two years of NASCAR Cup Collection racing, Austin Dillon has two wins, they usually’ve each come on the identical observe.
On August eleventh, 2024, he gained in extremely controversial style after deliberately wrecking each Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin within the closing seconds of the race. He was later faraway from the playoffs for that whereas preserving the win. However what lots of people neglect is that Dillon was nicely on his strategy to successful that race earlier than a late-race warning and the following chaos.
Dillon made certain individuals remembered that one yr later. On August sixteenth, 2025, Dillon led 107 of 400 laps, successful at Richmond but once more and in much more dominant style. It was the one time in Dillon’s total Cup profession the place he managed to guide 100+ laps in a single race.
Austin Dillon, Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet
Picture by: Chris Graythen – Getty Photographs
And whereas rumors and allegations swirled a few JGR setup which will have discovered its approach into the RCR store, the very fact stays that Dillon has been robust on the Virginia quick observe for years. Earlier than his 2025 win, Dillon’s report for laps led in a single race was 55 laps — additionally at Richmond, in the course of the 2020 season. He completed fourth in that race. He has eight high tens in 22 begins there, which is extra high tens than he has at another observe past Daytona (the place he has additionally gained twice).
In contrast to final yr, a victory at Richmond will not launch Dillon into the playoffs because the ‘win and also you’re in’ format is gone. However chasing checkered flags remains to be all the things to those drivers, and a win can also be sorely wanted by the No. 3 RCR workforce as Dillon has but to attain one other high 5 since his most up-to-date Richmond win. It might even be very emotional for all the group, as they search their first Cup win for the reason that tragic passing of Kyle Busch in Might.
The brand new Chevrolet physique could also be a roadblock that Dillon and all the bowties proceed to wrestle with. Even the mighty Hendrick Motorsports is having an off-year as they alter to the up to date ZL1.
Dillon sits twenty seventh within the standings with simply three high tens this yr — a sixth at Watkins Glen, a seventh at Atlanta, and a tenth at Iowa simply final weekend.
Austin Dillon with workforce proprietor and grandfather Richard Childress
Picture by: Samuel Corum / Getty Photographs
Crew chief Richard Boswell joined SiriusXM NASCAR Radio this week, speaking about their possibilities. He pointed to execution as the important thing, however admitted “we have to make ourselves somewhat bit higher. We all know that everybody else goes to undergo and examine what Austin does to be quick there, and they will work on their automobiles to place somewhat extra downforce in them and make their automobiles drive somewhat bit higher. And we have now to do all the identical issues.
“I believe the most important factor is that we won’t beat ourselves. We will not assume that we have now to vary all the things to be higher. Simply make minor tweaks to what we have now and our baseline, and make it somewhat bit higher. A pair hundredths of laptime goes a great distance, and that does not take reinventing the wheel.”
If Dillon manages to tug off the Richmond hat trick, it would put him into a really small and elite membership. The final driver to win three consecutive Cup races at Richmond was Bobby Allison over 40 years in the past in 1983. Nonetheless, the report belongs to Richard Petty, and that is not going to vary anytime quickly. ‘The King’ gained seven straight Cup races at Richmond between 1970 and 1975.
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