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Austin Dillon Interview following win at Richmond | VICTORY LAP

Austin Dillon Interview following win at Richmond | VICTORY LAP

Kevin Harvick's Happy Hour presented by NASCAR on FOX Aug 18, 2025 12 min
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Austin Dillon reflects on his recent Richmond win, highlighting the intense battle with Ryan Blaney and the satisfaction of a clean victory. He discusses his strong connection to Richmond Raceway, the evolving teamwork with crew chief Richard Boswell, and the challenges and learning curve with the Next Gen car. Dillon also shares insights into his relationship with team owner Richard Childress and looks ahead to the playoffs, particularly focusing on Darlington as a key track. The conversation reveals the strategic and personal elements behind his success this season.

Topics: richmond race win playoff preparation team dynamics next gen car challenges crew chief relationship richard childress racing race strategy track preferences driver mindset race car setup
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I never remember going to Richmond in anything that I didn't think I could win in.
The racing leading up to the end of the race with Ryan Blaney was probably some of my favorite racing
I've ever done. Then when we got the lead, we hit pit road and the rest is kind of history.
Austin, first off, congratulations. That's two years in a row. You've whipped their butt at Richmond,
but this one has to feel good. No drama at the end. Just a good old fashioned win
onto the playoffs. So explain to me just how it feels to be in this position right now,
this late in the regular season? Well, it feels pretty amazing. Austin Craven,
who you know, he's always said, man, it'd be nice to just have a boring win sometimes
with you. And I'm like, yeah, that would be. And that was kind of what we had, you know,
Saturday night. I mean, but I will say the racing leading up to the end of the race with
Ryan Blaney was probably some of my favorite racing I've ever done. Those 12 laps or
whatever it was, we were side by side. Just neither one of us had any traction. It was like
we're on ice skates out there trying to complete the pass was so hard. And then when we got the
lead, we hit pit road and the rest is kind of history. But yeah, no, it feels great to be
locked in the playoffs and be the first round kind of sets up nice with us because of the
tracks that we're going to some tire degradation at Darlington. And then Gateway was good for
us last year. Bristol is always a good one. So you've had a you've had a few really good weeks
as far as the performance goes. And, you know, I look at Richard Boswell and everything that
that you guys have been working on. It seems like things are starting to come together.
Am I reading that wrong? Or is it just starting to get the performance right with your group
and your car getting everything organized here, you know, right towards the end of the regular
season? Yeah, I think you're exactly right. You know, I have so much respect for Richard
earlier this year. We had to have like a sit down meeting just like a, Hey, we need to
understand each other better the competitive drive that each of us have because we had moments
at the beginning of the year where we weren't on the same page. And ever since that like
man to man meeting, we've really done some good stuff. And you go back to Iowa. I think
that was kind of the start for us of, you know, a competitive weekend running up front with those
guys restarting up front, doing things that set us up for Richmond because you can't just pop in there
and run it's a whole nother league when you're running in that top 10 area and understanding
what they do on restarts and how aggressive it is. And so Iowa was a good test for us.
And then we had to execute at Watkins Glen to set up for Richmond because of how much of an
advantage it is, you know, not going out early and qualifying. So getting a 15th place finish at
Watkins Glen was like a win for us to set up a decent qualifying effort going into the race.
So when you look at, when you look at Richmond, I never remember going to Richmond
when I worked and drove at RCR. I never remember going to Richmond in anything
that I didn't think I could win in. And I, can you explain just what the company mentality is,
why that is? Because I couldn't think of anything to say, Hey, I don't, I don't know.
But for you, what, what makes it that way? Because I don't ever remember going to Richmond
thinking that we couldn't win when I was in an RCR car. Yeah, you know, it's crazy. I think,
you know, coming up around you and Boyer, you guys always dominated there. And you both
had a little different approach at that track, I feel like, and I was able to kind of learn,
I mean, it was my worst track, to be honest, when I was Xfinity racing, like I could never
show up with what you run and run. Well, I felt like there, because I always felt like you're
loose or balance wise than me. And I ended up hitting on something in one of the Xfinity
races. And it was kind of like a mix of your, your line. And then the exit of four
that Boyer always talked about and a feel between those. And even Newman, when he was here,
he had runs that were good at Richmond. He had a little different approach to the corner too.
But yeah, I hit on something that a test and a line and I've just never went away from it. It's
kind of like you, you were in Atlanta when you'd hook the white line. I feel like that's
me at Richmond. And even if like we're in the simulator, I can tell the guys like, hey, this
doesn't feel right. I need this feel. And if I get this feel, it's not necessarily that the car
needs to be faster. It just allows me to put the car where it needs to be placed.
So like I'm talking about things differently in the simulator Richmond than I would be
in another track. I just have a feel for it that allows me to give good advice to the crew.
So you talked about after the race that you had some rib trouble. Where did that happen? Was
that from a wreck? Did you fall down the stairs? What's that all about? I fell off a ladder getting
my boat case out of my hunting room and it was just moving too fast. And I pulled the boat case
off like this and came down the steps, missed a lot of third, fourth one down and landed right
on top of the boat case. At first I was like, Oh, I'm in trouble. Like I'm not racing this
weekend. And it was going into Iowa and I just kind of toughed it out. And it's, it's gotten a
little better, but it's just annoying. And I've got this cough now. So that's made it even worse.
Well, you talk about tough and I know that driving for Richard Childress is, is, is tough.
He's, he's fair. He's one of the, he's one of the best people that I've ever been around
to teach you about racing and understand the sport. What's it been like this year
with Richard? I know he wants results. He expects to win. What's it been like
with trying to, trying to keep him calm, I guess is, is the best way to put it and,
and trying to work through what you need to, to get to this point.
Yeah. I think, you know, as I've gotten older and things have developed like, you know,
it goes all the way back to the Carolina Cowboys and being able to GM that I've
been able to work with RC on the RCR side of things, the business side, the financial side,
learning about the company and the way he does things. And then ties come in there too and
been a help. And both of us are starting to help RC more. So understanding where he comes from is,
you know, he likes things a certain way. He's very particular about how he does things.
And Ty and I are pushing him to do things a little different thinking toward the future.
So there's, there's heated conversations between him and I and Ty. And this year has been
good in the aspect that all three of us are closer than we've ever been. And he's,
he's really looking into the things that we say. And I think we did a great job getting
Mike Berlander a couple of years ago. He's, he's really come on and, and helped build
the culture that we're trying to build over here. Had some great hires with Boswell,
Johnny Klossmeyer and guys that you've worked with over Stuart Haas. And, you know, those things are
finally starting to show up, I feel like. And yeah, it's been fun. But yeah, when RC, I think,
go back to Dover, which you talk about Richmond being like a historical good place for RC. Our
Dover's probably been, since I've been here, the worst, like we struggled over. And I've never
felt good there and race car, I feel like. So after Dover, he kind of let it out there
in the media that, Hey, we got to have better race cars. And at the time, you know,
Ty's like, man, you probably shouldn't say that, but it felt really good for me because
he was back in the drivers, you know, and you want that from your owner
because we take a lot of heat over time. And he doesn't usually say that he doesn't, and
you know him from when you were here, he doesn't talk bad about his stuff, his engine
shop, his, his cars, like that's nothing. And he just challenged everybody in the right
way. I felt like because when he speaks like that, if you're around him enough, he doesn't
usually come out and say that. So I think it gave us a refocus and kind of got us all together
saying, Hey, we need to look at things differently. And yeah, I think since then we've done a good
job executing because I think this cup car is more about execution than anything because of
how tight the field is. So things have changed. I feel like since him coming out and saying
that at Dover even, what's been the hardest thing for you with, with just cycling into these
last few years of the, of the next gen car? That's a tough one. I think the next gen car is,
I enjoy the next gen car, especially at certain tracks. Short tracks, obviously I've had fun
with it there. A mile and a half racing from a restart standpoint is wild and more exciting,
I think than the old car. I think just the consistency probably from the next gen style
because I've had a couple of crew chiefs come through and this is the first time I feel like,
you know, Boswell and I are really building on something. So you, I think the old car,
you had certain knobs and dials that you went to to fix your problems, whether it be track bar,
wedge or whatever you wanted from the race car, that box is way smaller and relearning
what those things are that make me like trigger something in my mind from a setup standpoint.
I think that was probably the toughest for the independent rear suspension because I used to
could tell like Stockman back in the XFINITY car because they say, Hey, I need this shock or I need,
you know, this didn't really have that in the next gen car. And that bubble of things
that we talked about really got small. Well, I think as, as you talked earlier,
you talk about that first round of the playoffs. Is there one track in that first round that you
circle that you say, okay, this is this is the place that has been was good for us at the beginning
of the year out of the, out of the three tracks. What's that one track that you've, that you've got
circled? Well, I know from like Boswell's perspective, he was really good at Darlington
last year. They won the race with Chase Briscoe. That's right. Bristol, they were solid as
well. We were good at Bristol earlier this year. And at Darlington in the first race,
I thought we practiced really well and I had a different feel in the car that I was used to.
And I probably let us the wrong direction going in that race. So looking back,
I feel like we have something to work on. I just need to keep my mouth shut,
going to Darlington and just let the race kind of come to us. But I mean, from a,
out of those three, Darlington, I've been close. I actually, when we raced
your, your win at Darlington, I was really close. I feel like in that one.
So like that one's probably circled for me. I like the long run aspect of that track and
taking care of your tires and that type of stuff. And yeah, Bristol or Gateway,
from a win perspective, Darlington is the one I've circled Gateway. We were good last year.
We ran sixth there. So we have a baseline and Bristol, I think we can go have a top 10 race for
sure. Well, I'm happy for you guys. You know, I've got a, you know, I've got a soft spot
for everybody at RCR. And, you know, Richard Childress is, is one of the best car owners
that you can drive for. I know you guys have a great relationship and trying to work forward.
It sounds like, and I wish you guys nothing but the best and congratulations on kicking their
butt. Uh, Saturday night at Richmond. Thanks, Harvick.

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