Austin Dillon on Chasing His Third NASCAR Crown Jewel and What It Would Take to Conquer Indianapolis

Although Austin Dillon has only five Cup Series wins in his 14-year career across 408 starts, he has already made his name among NASCAR’s elite by winning two of the sport’s four crown jewel events, the 2017 Coca-Cola 600 and the 2018 Daytona 500. Now, Dillon has his sights set on adding a third jewel this weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway: the Brickyard 400.

The concern, however, is the speed of his car. Even teammate Kyle Busch has admitted that while RCR’s cars have shown decent balance this season, they simply lack the raw pace of the competition. Busch stopped short of blaming the crew but acknowledged that the cars need fine-tuning.

Dillon, however, remains optimistic about the Brickyard. In the pre-race media session, he said, “Indianapolis Motor Speedway has been good for our #3 Get Bioethanol team. We’ve been able to have solid races in the past. Last year, we had a pretty good qualifying effort starting 11th. I’m excited to get there. Speed is something I like.”

Discussing the track’s challenges, Dillon noted how line-sensitive Indianapolis is, emphasizing the precision needed to hit every mark. He explained that drivers, himself included, aim to place the car perfectly, especially around the white lines.

From his perspective, the No. 3 team should have a strong Chevrolet prepared by Richard Childress Racing, with ECR engines that typically excel on tracks where straightaway speed matters most.

Looking ahead to a potential third crown jewel victory, Dillon said, “It would be huge for me and everyone at Richard Childress Racing to win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It’s been a few years since Paul Menard won in 2011. I think only four or five drivers have won all four in the past, and it would be special to add one more to that list.”

Dillon currently sits 28th in the standings with 353 points. In 21 starts this season, he has logged three top-10 finishes, with two DNFs. With team owner Richard Childress already voicing frustration over the lack of speed, the performance of the No. 3 and No. 8 RCR Chevrolets at Indianapolis will be under the microscope.

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.

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