The pressure was on Saturday night at Richmond Raceway. Austin Dillon walked into a storm of doubters, controversy still swirling from last season, and a playoff spot on the line. But with his back to the wall, Dillon didn’t flinch. Instead, he powered the No. 3 Chevrolet to victory, shutting down the haters and punching his ticket to the championship chase.
How Did Austin Dillon Make Richard Childress Racing History With His Richmond Win?
Austin Dillon broke into the playoff field with a marvelous win at Richmond Raceway on Saturday night. It was his second straight win at the 0.75-mile oval, placing him in elite company alongside Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, and David Pearson, who also achieved back-to-back victories at Richmond.
The Richmond win also secured Dillon a special place in Richard Childress Racing history, making him the team’s third-most successful Cup Series driver, behind only two NASCAR legends. Dillon’s playoff-clinching win at Richmond Raceway saw him add his name to NASCAR history alongside the most iconic driver of the No. 3 Chevrolet.
The last Richard Childress Racing driver to win back-to-back Cup Series races at Richmond was Dale Earnhardt, the late seven-time champion with 76 career victories, who accomplished the feat in September 1990 and February 1991. Dillon finally matched it on Saturday night.
The Richmond win was his sixth in 433 Cup starts and his first after 37 races without a victory. Now, only Earnhardt (67) and Kevin Harvick (23) have more wins under the RCR banner than Dillon.
With his second win at Richmond, Austin Dillon now passes Clint Bowyer for 3rd most wins at RCR
Dale Earnhardt: 67
Kevin Harvick: 23
Austin Dillon: 6
Clint Bowyer: 5
Jeff Burton: 4
Kyle Busch: 3
Tyler Reddick: 3
Robby Gordon: 3
Ryan Newman: 1
Paul Menard: 1 pic.twitter.com/Ei2uO4eHr4— Jones’s Strongest Soldier (@avocadoloaf_) August 19, 2025
Dillon had been level with Clint Bowyer on five wins for RCR, but now moves ahead. Jeff Burton has four victories for the team, while Kyle Busch, who joined in 2023, has three.
Why Was Dillon Unfazed by Critics After Richmond Win?
While Dillon has now recorded back-to-back wins at Richmond, this year’s victory was much cleaner. After last season’s controversial last-lap pass over Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano, he earned a more dominant victory by winning 107 laps in the race, including the last 49.
It’s easy to assume Dillon has had an effortless NASCAR journey since the team owner, Richard Childress, is his grandfather. But having Childress as his ‘Pop Pop’ has been a double-edged sword for Dillon and his younger brother Ty.
Dillon inherited the No. 3 car at RCR, which Earnhardt used to drive. This only strengthened the nepotism accusations, but Dillon doesn’t let the chatter get to him.
“They’re going to do it either way,” he said about the naysayers. “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.”
Dillon, however, also believes he gets the credit he deserves from a large section of fans.
“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.”
Dillon also admitted that he enjoys the underdog label.
“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. We’re able to claw, chip, find ways. I like that underdog mentality a little bit.”
