Full Name | Austin Dillon |
Date of Birth | April 27, 1990 |
Nationality | American |
Height | 5'8" |
Role | Driver |
Austin Dillon is entering his eighth season with Richard Childress Racing in the Cup Series No. 3 Camaro. He is the grandson of team owner Richard Childress and the older brother of Ty Dillon, who will be driving for Gaunt Brothers Racing in 2021.
Despite growing up in a racing family, he was part of the Southwest Forsyth (NC) Little League team from Clemmons that competed in the 2002 Little League World Series. He switched to motorsports in 2005, racing in INEX Bandoleros and Legends cars, and the following year switched to dirt late models. Before switching to asphalt, he won three events in 2007, including two at the May All-Star Showdown on the Charlotte Motor Speedway dirt track. He still competes in dirt late models and modifies to keep his skills sharp.
Dillon’s NASCAR experience began with the K&N Pro Series East and West, where he has a win in 20 starts. With a one-off in the Pinty’s Series, he also had five races in the ARCA Menards Series. As a development driver in the Childress pipeline, he continued up the ladder to Trucks and Xfinity. When he won the Trucks title, he was the youngest driver to accomplish the feat.
NASCAR’s first Truck race at the Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, was won by Dillon in 2013. A special ceremony took place at the NASCAR Hall of Fame where is No. 39 Chevrolet was on display in the same condition it was at the end of the race.
After Dale Earnhardt died in 2001, Hendrick put his No. 3 into mothballs, fully expecting never to race the number again. But when Dillon was ready to run full-time in the Premier Series, it was brought back. He has not found the kind of success enjoyed in the other two national series with just three wins, one each in three of the last four seasons.
Dillon remains one of the most talented racers in NASCAR. Two of his victories were career-defining, capturing the 2017 Coca-Cola 600, which was his first career win, and the following season he took home the Harley J. Earl Trophy as the Daytona 500 champion.
Before reaching NASCAR’s top level, Dillon’s accomplishments are numerous. In four straight seasons, he won the Trucks top rookie (2010), Trucks champion (2011), Xfinity Rookie of the Year (2012), and Xfinity title (2013). Last year he made the Cup Series playoffs for the fourth time, finishing eleventh overall. His win at Texas Motor Speedway in July automatically qualified for the Round of 12.
Before he joined HMS in 2014, Dillon also raced for Mike Curb (1 race), Joe Falk (5), James Finch (4), and Margaret Haas (2).
2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Champion
2013 NASCAR Nationwide Series Champion
2014 Daytona 500 pole winner
2017 Coca-Cola 600 Winner
2018 Daytona 500 Winner
2021 Bluegreen Vacations Duel winner
Austin Dillon - Awards and Accolades (H2)
2008 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Rookie of the Year
2010 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Rookie of the Year
2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Most Popular Driver
2012 NASCAR Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year
Austin Reed Dillon was born on Apr. 27, 1990 (now 30) in Welcome, North Carolina, where he still resides. He is married to Whitney Ward [Dillon], and the couple welcomed their first child, Ace RC Dillon, last June. The RC represents his grandfather’s initials. His hobbies include hunting, paintball, physical training, and fantasy sports.