Austin Dillon’s Richmond win put him back in the spotlight, this time for all the right reasons, unlike last year’s win on the same track that drew backlash for his aggressive finish. While Dillon recognizes the significance of securing a playoff berth, he insists much of the credit goes to crew chief Richard Boswell, whose leadership is helping Richard Childress Racing climb back toward the sport’s elite.
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In his post-race remarks, Dillon hailed his grandfather, Richard Childress, as the bedrock of the organization, the man constantly perched atop the hauler, pouring every ounce of energy into the team. He also lauded Boswell’s impact, saying, “Richard Boswell is a heck of a leader. A good get for us in the off-season.
“He’s a guy that can be a leader for years to come after crew chiefing for him. The guys really rally behind him. He built an excellent team for us. Multiple times I told him this year, ‘If I can’t go fast with the team I have right now, I need to think about doing something else, moving to another role.’ This feels really good.”
Dillon believes Boswell’s work has created one of the strongest units in the garage, a group capable of making noise in the playoffs. He sees it as proof that top-tier talent comes to RCR because they trust what Childress delivers, and because he himself is committed to building a program to rival the sport’s powerhouses.
“There’s a lot of big, strong teams out there. We scrap and claw and figure out ways to win. I think we have fun when we do that,” Dillon added.
Boswell joined Dillon’s team at RCR last November, ahead of the 2025 Cup Series season, after serving as Chase Briscoe’s crew chief at the now-defunct Stewart-Haas Racing in 2024. He, too, returned the praise, commending Dillon’s work ethic and addressing critics who argue Dillon doesn’t belong at this level and is just in the Cup because of his grandfather.
Boswell pointed to Richmond as proof, noting Dillon ran side-by-side for 30 to 40 laps with Ryan Blaney, the 2023 Cup champion, and ultimately beat him to the line. While he admitted the team needs more consistent speed, Boswell dismissed detractors outright: anyone claiming Dillon just can’t do it “isn’t looking at the facts.”
