Dillon On Cup Playoffs: ‘We Can Execute & Make A Good Push’

Austin Dillon (Peter Casey/Nigel Kinrade Photography)

WELCOME, N.C. – Embracing the role of an underdog can provide motivation that leads to unexpected success. Austin Dillon and Richard Childress Racing are looking to do that this postseason.

Dillon upset the NASCAR Cup Series playoff field when he won at Richmond (Va.) Raceway two weeks ago. Now, all eyes are on Dillon, who hopes to continue his resurgent season Sunday at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway.

“I always use [being overlooked] as fuel, but I feel like I have really good confidence and a calm attitude about it. I don't have anything to prove in that sense,” said Dillon during NASCAR Cup Series playoff media day. “I'm just really happy with where we're at as an organization because in the first quarter of the season I would have said differently. Now I feel confident.

“I feel good that we can execute and make a good push.”

It’s no secret that up until Richmond, Dillon’s 12th Cup Series season didn’t go as planned. He only had four top 10s in 24 races and hadn’t led a lap until his sixth career Cup Series win this summer.

It had worn on him that a team that’s used to competing at a high level was struggling to stay inside the top 30 in the point standings.

But since Aug. 16, everything has changed, including the trajectory of RCR. But the 35-year-old also highlighted the July race at Dover (Del.) Motor Speedway as another turning point.

Despite his 15th-place effort that day, team owner Richard Childress said the team needed to find legitimate cars capable of contending. Now, it seem they’ve done just that.

“After Dover, we probably took a different approach of like, ‘All right, what can we do?’ What are the things that we're not looking at as an organization to get better? And I think all things opened up a little bit more during those times,” said Dillon. “It was more of a group effort of really resetting, starting from scratch, and kind of starting there.

“We’ve been working hard and my team’s pretty in its infancy if I look at it that way. [Crew chief Richard] Boswell and I were one year into building that atmosphere and it's coming together at the right time,” he added. “We've got winners here now and that means something, and it feels good and makes you know that you can execute in a tight situation and not fall apart. And I think RCR's always kind of had that execution factor, and we're doing a better job of putting better products on the tracks.”

Austin Dillon celebrates with a burnout after winning at Richmond Raceway. (Matthew Thacker/Nigel Kinrade Photography)

Dillon believes now that his team is capable of advancing to the Round of 12. At the beginning of the year, he would’ve viewed just making the postseason as a huge deal, but now it’s about making the most out of his opportunity to finish strong.

His team wants to take advantage of its recent momentum and doesn’t want to fall off quickly.

To prevent that, the team diagnosed their strengths and weaknesses. Entering Darlington, he said the No. 3 executes well but struggles in qualifying, which affects their overall track position.

“Qualifying will be the most important thing for us. If we can qualify, which I think being in the playoffs and going out later [in the order] is going to help, then we’ll have a better shot at staying up there,” said Dillon. “We've had to fight that from a point situation all year. So now, if we can capitalize on being able to go out late, I think that helps our weakness.”

The Welcome, N.C. native has also combated the highs and lows of the sport, particularly due to the struggles he’s had performance-wise until Richmond. During the dark days from February to August, RCR went through challenges stabilizing the direction of the organization.

With Dillon now in the later phase of his racing career, he has become involved in the leadership of his family-owned team, which led to equal parts stress and motivation.

“I’m in a lot of conversations about the future and direction. I've tried to stick my head in as much as possible because I feel like no one's going to care about it more than family. I’ve only been at RCR, so I feel like I have a direct correlation to the competition side,” he said. “I’ve seen the good and bad times; I’ve gone through it all.

“I’ve been doing this for 12 years now, so I have to speak up at times when needed. I want to help in any way I can.”

Now Dillon will turn toward Darlington, where he has five top 10s in his Cup Series career. In the Next-Gen era, his best finish was ninth back in 2022, and he was 23rd in the race there in May.

The veteran has two top fives and 12 top 10s at playoff tracks in the Next-Gen era and hopes to use those more recent strengths to build his consistency now.

“Our team has been executing at a high level lately and it started about four or five weeks ago,” said Dillon. “I think we can keep that same mentality, especially these first three races.”

Coverage of the 76th Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington is slated for Sunday, Aug. 31 on USA, the Motor Racing Network, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.