The tensions between Austin Dillon and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. have been building on NASCAR tracks for years. The two have been racing against each other since their Xfinity Series days when they both were champions of the series. Stenhouse Jr. won in 2011 and 2012 and Dillon followed in 2013 with a championship of his own.
However, they haven’t been able to translate this success into the Cup Series by any means. Dillon only got his first Cup win last year at Richmond in controversial fashion, while Stenhouse Jr. has just four wins. But this hasn’t stopped the two from taking jibes at each other. In a recent interview, Dillon has taken Ricky’s name on a list of drivers no one wants to be on.
Richard Childress’ grandson is sick of Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
In a recent installment of Jeff Gluck’s popular “12 Questions” series, Richard Childress’ grandson didn’t hesitate when asked about which drivers he least enjoys racing against. Thirteen years after his original answer in the same interview series, Dillon’s response was clear and direct. “Ricky Stenhouse is a pain,” Dillon stated. “I feel like it’s because we’ve raced around each other so long, but I don’t get it.” The frustration in Dillon’s words was evident, suggesting that this rivalry runs deeper than what fans see during broadcasts.
Stenhouse Jr. has a reputation for being involved in wrecks, earning him the nickname ‘Wrecky Stenhouse’ from some fans. Most recently, at the Daytona 500, Stenhouse was involved in a wreck with Joey Logano that ended the race for multiple drivers, including Kyle Busch, Austin Dillon’s Richard Childress Racing teammate. Busch and Stenhouse Jr. have a history, too, as the latter threw a punch at Busch after the All-Star race last year.
In his interview with Jeff Gluck, Dillon made a point to distinguish his frustrations with Stenhouse from his experiences with other competitors. “My brother [Ty Dillon] sometimes, too; he races me as hard as anybody out there, but that’s just brothers,” Dillon explained. He then added, “Joey [Logano] and I, after Richmond, have raced each other actually cleaner. So not bad there.” Logano and Dillon were involved in the infamous Richmond crash last year, which saw Dillon spin Logano out and hook Denny Hamlin on the final Turn to win the race. It was a move that not many fans appreciated, and it led to Dillon being revoked of a playoff spot as well. However, it’s good to know that he and Logano have buried the hatchet there.
When discussing Justin Allgaier, whom he mentioned in his 2012 interview, Austin Dillon showed that some opinions remain consistent over time. “But if I was in the Xfinity Series, I would still say Justin because I watch those Xfinity races, and he side-drafts really hard and aggressively. So that answer would not have changed,” Dillon noted. Dillon points to these drivers being aggressive on the track, which isn’t unheard of. However, when Richard Childress’ grandson speaks about Stenhouse, he simply calls him a pain, showcasing the complete lack of acknowledgment of Ricky’s driving.
The tension between these drivers isn’t one-sided either. Following an incident at Martinsville Speedway last season, Stenhouse was heard on his team radio making a pointed comment about both Richard Childress Racing driver and Ty Gibbs as they battled ahead of him. “The golden spoons were going at it hard there,” Stenhouse remarked, using a term that NASCAR fans have often used to describe drivers who have family connections in the sport. This comment directly referenced the family advantages that both Dillon (grandson of team owner Richard Childress) and Gibbs (grandson of team owner Joe Gibbs) have benefited from in their careers—a stark contrast to Stenhouse’s own path to NASCAR’s top level.
The current standings tell part of the story of this ongoing rivalry. Stenhouse currently sits at 19th in the Cup Series standings for Hyak Motorsports, while Dillon is further back at 28th with RCR. While the rivalry between Stenhouse Jr. and Dillon is usually centered around mid-pack wrecks or sly digs, it never really showed at the checkered flag in the Cup Series. They’ve never denied the other for a race win at the highest level, and they aren’t usually competing for one.
This is merely a simmering rivalry. It’s more of a beef between two guys who simply can’t stand how the other drives and how they got the opportunity to drive. If you want a real NASCAR rivalry, you’ll have to turn back the clock.
The storied legacy of NASCAR rivalries from Petty to Dillon
Sports rivalries have always added excitement and intrigue to NASCAR, fueling the competitive fire that makes the sport so compelling. Since the 1960s, when Richard “The King” Petty and David “Silver Fox” Pearson established what many consider the original NASCAR rivalry, these driver feuds have been central to the sport’s appeal. Their legendary battles produced 63 1-2 finishes, including the unforgettable 1976 Daytona 500, where they collided at the finish line before Pearson limped his car across for the win, setting the standard for all rivalries that followed. With Petty’s 200 victories facing off against Pearson’s 105, their competition elevated NASCAR’s popularity and created a blueprint for the dramatic driver confrontations that would follow in later decades.
The 1990s brought NASCAR’s popularity to new heights when “The Intimidator” Dale Earnhardt Sr. and “Wonder Boy” Jeff Gordon created a rivalry that perfectly embodied the clash between old-school racing and the new generation. Their contrasting styles—Earnhardt’s aggressive, fearless approach versus Gordon’s calculated precision—mirrored the very dynamics we see today between journeyman Stenhouse and legacy driver Dillon. Gordon’s bold “bump-and-run” against Earnhardt at the 1995 Bristol Night Race remains one of NASCAR’s most iconic moments. Later, Gordon’s equally intense feud with the passionate Tony “Smoke” Stewart showed how these rivalries evolve, often developing into mutual respect despite heated on-track confrontations.
The Dillon-Stenhouse dynamic loosely follows this storied tradition, sharing elements with modern feuds like that between Kyle “Rowdy” Busch and Brad Keselowski, which began in the Xfinity Series before intensifying in the Cup competition. But Dillon and Stenhouse are obviously less decorated. However, like those rivalries before them, the tension between Dillon and Stenhouse transcends simple competition—it represents different paths to NASCAR success, contrasting driving philosophies, and the personal pride that comes with defending one’s space on the track.
The ongoing conflict between Dillon and Stenhouse Jr. continues to create compelling storylines for fans, even as both currently race outside playoff positions. In NASCAR, where legacy and reputation are built one lap at a time, these rivalries aren’t just side stories—they’re the very fabric of the sport’s enduring appeal.
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