Austin Dillon makes his confidence crystal clear amid rising supremacy over NASCAR veteran Kyle Busch

Two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch's teammate, Austin Dillon, was featured in a media day availability ahead of the Kansas Speedway race. There, Dillon made a bold statement for the AdventHealth 400.

Dillon has improved his standings in the past few races, securing three back-to-back top-ten finishes. Also, the #3 team has brought Richard Childress Racing's best finish for this season, finishing seventh at Texas Motor Speedway. His streak began with securing a P10 finish at Bristol Motor Speedway and was followed by yet another P10 finish at Talladega Superspeedway in April 2025.

The three top-ten finishes helped Austin Dillon boost his ranking from 27 to 21 in the Cup Series standings. Meanwhile, his teammate and NASCAR veteran, Kyle Busch, continues his winless streak and stays in 16th place. Busch finished in P20 at the Texas Motor Speedway.

Following his third top-ten finish, Austin Dillon confidently stated (via SpeedwayDigest.com):

"Having three top-10s in a row definitely gives our whole team a boost. We've been clicking lately, the pit crew has been fast, the strategy has played in our favor, and our Chevrolets have had speed. It's all coming together. That kind of momentum is huge in this sport, especially heading into a place like Kansas Speedway, where you need confidence to run the high line and make aggressive moves. We just want to keep that rhythm going and see if we can take another step forward this weekend."

Kyle Busch showcased flashes earlier this season, securing a P5 finish at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA). Since then, he has landed only two top-ten finishes. On the other hand, Austin Dillon has picked up his pace and has been a consistent top-ten finisher in the past three races.

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NASCAR champion Kyle Busch gave his crystal-clear views on how drafting has changed since the introduction of NextGen cars

The NextGen or Gen7 cars were introduced in 2022 during the 'Great American Race,' the Daytona 500. The governing body aimed to reduce the horsepower while increasing the on-track competitiveness of the cars. However, this decision received a mixed reaction from motorsports fans.

Richard Childress Racing driver Kyle Busch drove the new car and noticed something different about it. He revealed that the cars now capitalize on the energy coming from behind, and the drivers depend on fellow vehicles' momentum to reach the required speed for drafting.

“The draft is a big deal, and honestly the energy in the draft now is not necessarily coming from ahead of you; it’s more so coming from behind you. Two, three, four, five cars behind you is where that energy really develops, and you get pushed forward from that energy. So, the draft is different than what it used to be. Years ago, you would suck up to the guy in front of you and slingshot past him and make him move that way. Now, you’re really relying on everything happening behind you and building from behind," Kyle Busch said via Speedway Digest.

The former Cup Series champion has secured 63 wins, 382 top-ten finishes, and 34 pole positions in 715 starts in his 22-year career in the series. Additionally, Busch also amassed 102 wins, 267 top-ten finishes, and 70 pole positions in 367 starts in the Xfinity Series.