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Richard Childress Racing driver Austin Dillon had a lackluster start to his 2024 NASCAR Cup Series campaign. Short-track woes continue to bug the organization as a whole, with two-time Cup champion Kyle Busch experiencing a slump in his sophomore season with RCR.
Following the #3 Chevy team's continued struggles, Richard Childress Racing announced a crew chief swap. Dillon parted ways with Keith Rodden, to join forces with his former crew chief Justin Alexander, last weekend at Martinsville Speedway.
After returning atop the pit box for the #3 RCR team, Alexander stated that his priority is to unravel their Achilles' heel on short tracks. He expressed optimism about the progress made in Martinsville and is confident in the team's ability to alter their trajectory.
In a recent interview with Racing America, Austin Dillon's crew chief expressed remarked about the team's early progress:
"The team's been working really well together, we've talked about a lot of things and trying to uncover what kind of our Achilles Heel [is] at short track races. Think we learned a lot at Martinsville this weekend, kind of went a different direction than what we've been. Had some decent speed, qualified way better at Martinsville."
"So felt like we learned some stuff. Are we where we need to be? Probably not yet, but [we] feel more confident in what we are doing there for sure," he added.
Austin Dillon has yet to secure his first top-15 result of the season, prompting some fans to advocate for a driver change following the crew chief swap. Dillon's struggles persisted at Martinsville, where he qualified 28th and grappled with power steering issues during the race, and was ultimately classified P34.
Kyle Busch has similarly encountered difficulties on short tracks, failing to secure a top-15 finish on such ovals this season. The two-time Cup champion's recent form at RCR also evoked sympathy from NASCAR fans.
Austin Dillon's crew chief confident about turning around the situation
Justin Alexander has worked with Austin Dillon in two separate stints in the past, between 2017-18 and 2020-22. Dillon has clinched all four of his Cup Series victories with Alexander at the helm of the #3 team, including victories at the Daytona 500 and the Coca-Cola 600.
Alexander claims he is well-versed with Dillon's needs and is confident about creating a setting where the #3 Chevy driver returns to form, scoring consistent results. He told Fox Sports reporter Bob Pockrass:
"I think I've been with Austin long enough and over a lot of years now. And so I kind of know what he wants and what he needs and really I just want to bring, you know, we're trying to get the team back, running consistently again, and start knocking down some better finishes. Top five, top 10s, top 15s. And climb our way back out of the points hole that we're in."
With the first quarter of the NASCAR Cup season behind, Austin Dillon sits 31st in the drivers' standings.
