Although Austin Dillon has now gone back-to-back at Richmond, this year’s win carried a very different flavor. Last season, he triggered outrage among the fans and NASCAR officials after moving two cars (Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano) on the final lap to steal the win in one of NASCAR’s most controversial finishes in years. This time, Dillon left no question marks, pacing the field for 107 laps, second only to Bubba Wallace’s 123, en route to success on the short track.
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With his playoff spot now secure before the regular-season finale, Dillon shed the weight of that pressure. Though the “nepo kid” label continues to follow him, it no longer rattles him. Asked after the race if he feels he gets enough credit at the Cup level, the driver of the No. 3 replied, “I think I get the credit I deserve, man. I have some great fans out there.
“It’s cool when I go out and sign autographs. I have some loyal fans because they’ve had to go through a struggle at times. We’re kind of like a fighter. We don’t go away. I think a lot of people think that guy is going to go away at some point.”
He admitted he relishes the grind. Unlike many of his peers, Dillon enjoys carrying the underdog mentality, saying his team always finds ways to claw back and keep fighting. He pointed to his résumé, one Xfinity title and multiple Cup victories, and declared Richmond among his most satisfying wins because it came without controversy, a straightforward domination.
Addressing whether the win sent a message to critics who dismiss him as merely driving his grandfather’s team’s No. 3 car, Dillon shrugged, “They’re going to do it either way. I could win 50 races, and they’ll say my grandpa gave me the ride. They’re not wrong. He did. He did a great job putting me in it. Hopefully I’m paying off on his investment at some point (smiling).”
This season, Dillon owns just a single win and five top-10s, leaving him 25th in the standings. But over 15 years at the Cup level, the 35-year-old has tallied six career wins and 85 top-10s in 433 starts.
His peak seasons came in 2017 and 2020, both of which saw him advance into the Round of 12 in the playoffs. And he aims to go above and beyond those performances this season as well.
