When we talk about Chevys dominating the Cup Series, most fans immediately think of Hendrick Motorsports. After all, in recent times, Richard Childress Racing has struggled quite a bit. They have no glory to show for do they? The only win on their record is the Richmond race, which was in the form of a blemish for Austin Dillon.
It’s been a challenging 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season for Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Dillon, the grandson of the legendary team owner Richard Childress. Sitting 22nd in the standings with 227 points after 12 races, Dillon has struggled to find the consistency that once defined his career. His best finish this year was a 7th at Texas Motor Speedway, but races, like the 24th at Darlington, have left him chasing the top tier, unable to string together the results needed to climb into playoff contention.
Despite his Daytona 500 win in 2018 and three other career victories, Dillon’s 2025 season has been a grind, with RCR battling to find the speed and balance to compete with the front-runners. Tracks like Texas, where he managed a 14th-place finish, show flashes of potential, but the No. 3 team knows they need more to get back to victory lane. Recently, Dillon opened up about these struggles, sharing insights that reveal a driver determined to turn things around with a fresh approach.
On the Door Bumper Clear podcast, Austin Dillon got real about his qualifying woes, a sore spot for the 35-year-old driver who once thrived in those sessions. “I used to qualify on the pole all the time in the Xfinity series and even in the cup series I had a couple of poles there for a while but we’re trying in the simulator to do a better job of modelling what we think qualifying is going to be like, getting more aggressive on it, but it’s just so tight, man,” he shared. Dillon’s looking back on his Xfinity Series days, where he nabbed five poles in 2013 alone, and his early Cup career, where he scored poles at tracks like Michigan in 2016. His average starting position in the National series is 8.6, considerably better than how he’s faring at the moment.
WATKINS GLEN, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 14: Austin Dillon, driver of the #3 Get Bioethanol Chevrolet, drives during practice for the NASCAR Cup Series Go Bowling at The Glen at Watkins Glen International on September 14, 2024 in Watkins Glen, New York. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
But lately, the No. 3 car hasn’t been able to replicate that speed in qualifying, often leaving him starting mid-pack or worse, which makes race days an uphill battle. His average starting position this season has only been 19.3, and if we talk about his highest start, it was at Talladega just a few weeks ago, when he started in 5th place.
He went deeper, explaining the fine line he’s walking in his approach. “You slip here or there and it’s behind, so, I’ve done studying but I think less studying sometimes because you start thinking about every piece of the lap and if you just go out there and drive it, it’ll probably you get more return on your investment sometimes,” Dillon added.
But is the problem limited to Dillon, or are other Richard Childress Racing cars suffering from the same issue? If we look at Kyle Busch’s numbers, they tell a different story. Rowdy’s average start has been in 14.5 this season, and he’s consistently breaking into the top 10 in qualifying, even starting in second place.
Dillon’s frustration isn’t just about starting position—it’s about the ripple effect on his entire race. Poor qualifying means missing out on crucial stage points, which he desperately needs to climb the standings. His reflection shows a driver who’s not giving up but is searching for that spark to get RCR back to the front, especially at tracks like Charlotte, where he’s historically performed well.
Homestead Miami decision wins over RCR driver
When NASCAR gave in to fan demands and finally decided to abandon Phoenix in place of Homestead-Miami for 2026, most in the NASCAR community were overjoyed. Miami offered better quality of racing, what with its multi-grooved track giving drivers a run for their money. And Austin Dillon is no different.
“Personally, I love Homestead as the final race of the year. It is such a cool place, the weather’s nice, it’s just cool to be down there at that time of the year. That race track is like a racer’s track, you can just find speed all over that track, and it’s just come into its own as one of the best tracks that we go to, and it’s a fun track to race on from a driver’s standpoint. I think it is good to move the championship around,” Dillon explained.
It was a massive move to see happen for most, especially since NASCAR had shifted away from Miami, and for a while, things seemed like they were fine, but NASCAR’s shift back is crucial. You see, it won’t just be Homestead-Miami. Different tracks are set to hold the race after 2026, and we can’t be more excited!
The post Richard Childress’ Grandson Breaks Silence On NASCAR Misery With Humble Revelation appeared first on EssentiallySports.
