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Richard Childress Racing driver Austin Dillon's latest outing at Dover Motor Speedway wasn't the most inspiring for the #3 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 driver. Crossing the checkered flag in P27, the 33-year-old driver seemed to struggle during the Wurth 400 on the 1-mile-long track.
The rain-delayed race that finally went green on Monday was followed by news of the #3 crew's penalties being upheld by the governing body. It capped an already lackluster weekend for the team. Rodden was fined $75,000 and 60 regular season points at Martinsville under crew chief Keith Rodden's authority. He was also suspended for two weeks following the weekend at Martinsville.
Rodden was a part of General Motors' Motorsports Competition NASCAR strategy team before switching roles to join Richard Childress Racing. He is no newcomer to the world from the top of the pit box. Keith Rodden had experience working as a crew chief and engineer with the sport's biggest teams such as Hendrick Motorsports and the former Team Red Bull.
The North Carolina State University graduate started his NASCAR career in 2003 with Andy Petree Racing. Holding a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, the 42-year-old from Denver, North Carolina is also the director of vehicle performance at Richard Childress' racing outfit.
The 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season marked Austin Dillon and Keith Rodden's first season together as driver and crew chief. The pairing saw their best result of the season with a P2 finish in the Busch Light Clash at the start of the year. They also finished P3 at the Food City Dirt Race in Bristol earlier in the season.
Richard Childress Racing will not contest the penalites handed to Austin Dillon and the #3 team
The NASCAR Appeals Panel upheld the penalties handed to Richard Childress Racing after the Martinsville Speedway weekend this season. The team have now decided to bury the hatchet once and for all. In a statement released by the racing outfit, the team stated:
“While we are disappointed in today’s ruling, we look forward to having this issue in the rear-view mirror so we can focus on the rest of the 2023 NASCAR season."
Richard Childress Racing look forward to honing their performance at the upcoming NASCAR Cup Series event. With the #3 crew at the racing outfit not off to a particularly good start to the season, any further distractions could hamper Austin Dillon's playoff hopes.
