Austin Dillon breaks down how RCR turned a ‘bad’ incident into NASCAR win at Richmond

NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out 400 - Source: Getty
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA - AUGUST 16: Austin Dillon, driver of the #3 Bass Pro/Winchester Chevrolet, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out 400 - Source: Getty

Austin Dillon’s recent win at Richmond Raceway has been explained in detail through a social media post shared by SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. Dillon shared what his mindset was during the race and how he and Richard Childress Racing turned an earlier setback into a powerful win.

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The video was uploaded on SiriusXM’s official account on X. In the video, Austin Dillon shared the critical moments that shifted the race in his favor. He explained how patience in the early stages set up his chance later, pointing out that staying calm helped him avoid mistakes.

“I had a calm about my day. I just wanted to have a solid day and see what came out of it,” SiriusXM NASCAR Radio quoted Dillon in the caption.
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Dillon recalled how his car showed strength in the second run of the race, which boosted the confidence of his crew chief. Each caution gave him opportunities to gain positions on restarts, a sharp contrast to his struggles at Richmond the year before. The turning point came late in Stage 2. A fast pit stop positioned him well, and when another competitor gambled on two tires, Dillon seized the chance. Going three-wide down the front stretch, he took the lead. Explaining what happened, he said,

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“The second run of the race we had a really good run as well, and that kind of got my crew chief. He thought we had that capability in the second run of the race, and we almost ran down the guys to score a stage point and then we hit pit road and then we kinda had our one bad pit stop of the race right there, lost some track position and then the next stage we were just kinda okay, and then caution fewll, we were going back forward, at that point and then we had a couple of quick cautions, at the end of stage 2, and at the end of every caution I was gaining a spot on the restarts.”
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Austin Dillon’s sixth career NASCAR Cup Series win came by leading 107 laps, including the final 49. He locked in a playoff spot despite entering the race ranked 28th in points

Alex Bowman finished second, 2.471 seconds behind Austin Dillon. While encouraged, Bowman admitted lapped traffic kept him from mounting a final challenge. William Byron finished 12th but clinched the regular season championship, while Ryan Blaney, Joey Logano, and Austin Cindric rounded out the top five.

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Austin Dillon opens up on future role at Richard Childress Racing

Austin Dillon also addressed a different question, one regarding his future at Richard Childress Racing. In a conversation with Dale Earnhardt Jr., Dillon admitted that leading RCR one day has always been a dream. He grew up in Welcome, North Carolina, where the team is based, and said the connection runs deep.

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Dillon described the culture at RCR as one fueled by passion, pointing out how proud he was of his younger brother Ty Dillon’s growth within the sport. He noted that their grandfather, Richard Childress, has sacrificed much of his personal life to keep the team thriving.

“I think what my grandfather's biggest fear is that or regret is his time with family because he has been so committed to RCR in the business that is what he has put all his focus and effort in and we love him for that,” Dillon explained.
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Richard Childress has been a constant figure in NASCAR, always present and involved in the team’s operations. Austin Dillon acknowledged this dedication, calling him “like an Elvis of the garage.” However, he also recognized the challenges. He admitted that Childress might hesitate to hand over control to him and Ty because of the sacrifices it requires.

Despite that, Austin Dillon sees the possibility as a way to carry on the family’s legacy. He said he and Ty hoped to one day bring their own families into the RCR fold, continuing what has been built over decades. He was honest about the difficulty of the job, but also about the rewards that come with it.

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Edited by Pratham K Sharma
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