How Austin Dillon Found the Winning Formula at Richmond in Contrast to the Likes of Kyle Larson and Chase Briscoe

Of Austin Dillon’s six career Cup Series victories across 15 seasons, two have now come at Richmond. A track long dominated by Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, and Martin Truex Jr., Richmond now has Dillon’s name firmly etched into the conversation after his back-to-back wins.

His 2024 win stirred heavy controversy when he wrecked leaders Hamlin and Joey Logano in the closing laps. NASCAR allowed the No. 3 driver to keep the victory but barred him from the playoff grid. This season, however, Dillon’s success came without a blemish.

After starting 11th, he led 107 laps on his way to victory lane. He ended Stages 1 and 2 in fourth before rallying in the final segment. Dillon clocked his fastest lap with a 22.981-second circuit at 117.488 mph.

When Steve Letarte, Todd Gordon, and Corey LaJoie recently discussed how Dillon turned from underdog to Richmond favorite, LaJoie explained that the razor-thin edge of tire grip in Next Gen cars is the great equalizer.

With smaller sidewalls and less yaw, drivers often walk a tightrope. LaJoie noted that while Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell, and Chase Briscoe thrive by dancing on 99.9 percent of available grip, Richmond punishes such aggression by burning tires away.

“So, I think where Austin’s level of comfort on the tire, it kind of levels out. And also his dirt racing background allows him to have better longevity with tire degradation,” LaJoie observed.

He further pointed out Dillon’s unusual approach. “He’s got that unique line down the front straightaway that he’s cutting distance, but he’s also getting away from all the rubber laid down on the outside of the straightaway.

“And when you’re a lane off the bottom or laying off the top down the straightaway, you can get a lot of left rear traction. And I think Austin does that better than anybody. And obviously, the feel in that #3 car they’ve given them, they found it and it’s reflected year-over-year.”

With two wins at Richmond, Dillon now ranks 11th among the most successful active drivers at the track, posting an average finish of 15.2 in 22 starts with three top-fives and eight top-10s to go with it as well.

About the author

Neha Dwivedi

Neha Dwivedi is an experienced NASCAR Journalist at The SportsRush, having penned over 5500 articles on the sport to date. She was a seasoned writer long before she got into the world of NASCAR. Although she loves to see Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch win the races, she equally supports the emerging talents in the CARS Late Model and ARCA Menards Series.. For her work in NASCAR she has earned accolades from journalists like Susan Wade of The Athletic, as well as NASCAR drivers including Thad Moffit and Corey Lajoie. Her favorite moment from NASCAR was witnessing Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. win the championship trophies. Outside the racetrack world, Neha immerses herself in the literary world, exploring both fiction and non-fiction.

Read More