Austin Dillon is one of the most recognised name in the NASCAR Cup Series, so here is everything you need to know about him.
The American made his debut in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2011 and has raced full-time with Richard Childress Racing since 2014. Dillon is the grandson of the team’s owner, Richard Childress.
As of the 2023 season, Dillon has won four races in the series, with one of them coming at the prestigious Daytona 500 in 2018.
The RCR driver did claim his fifth win in 2024 at Richmond in controversial fashion and while he was allowed to keep the victory, his actions in the race led to his playoff eligibility being voided.
Austin Dillon won the Daytona 500 in 2018
Dillon made his Cup Series debut in 2011 at the Kansas Speedway for Curb Racing, where he finished in 26th place.
In 2012, the American made one appearance for his grandfather’s team, Richard Childress Racing, at Michigan and raced in five events for the team in 2013, as well as driving four races for Phoenix Racing and two for Stewart-Haas Racing, with a best finish of 11th.
During these years, Dillon had also been racing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and the Nationwide Series, winning both championships in 2011 and 2013 respectively. He had won the Rookie of the Year award the year before winning both titles (2010 and 2012).
In 2014, RCR handed Dillon a full-time seat in the No. 3 car in the Cup Series and he went on to finish every race that season. However, results proved hard to come by, finishing in the top five only once and the top 10 four times, coming in 20th overall.
His 2015 season would also prove to be disappointing, with again only one top-five finish. In 2016, Dillon qualified for the Chase for the Sprint Cup – now called the playoffs – and progressed past the round of 16, but was eliminated in the next round.
Dillon achieved his first Cup Series win in 2017 at the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway after he passed Jimmie Johnson, who had run out of fuel, on lap 399, registering the first win for the No. 3 car since Dale Earnhardt won at Talladega in 2000.
The RCR driver went on to finish the season 11th overall in the standings; his best career finish to date and a result he would equal on two other occasions in 2020 and 2022.
Dillon started the 2018 season in blistering fashion by winning the first race of the season; the Daytona 500. The American produced a stunning comeback from a lap down with 20 laps to go to get to second place on the final lap of the race.
He collided with Aric Almirola on his right rear after Almirola had attempted to block Dillon, sending him into the wall. Dillon’s victory marked 20 years since Earnhardt, who had raced in NASCAR with RCR since 1984, won his only Daytona 500, and 17 years to the day of his tragic passing in 2001.
Austin Dillon was stripped of his playoffs spot in 2024 after controversy at Richmond
Following his Daytona victory, Dillon would win only two more races in the next five years; at Texas in 2020 and again at Daytona in 2022, but in the Coke Zero Sugar 400.
Dillon would claim his fifth win in the series in 2024 at the Cook Out 400 at Richmond, but the RCR driver made headlines with the controversial manner of his win.
On the final lap of the race, Dillon had been trailing Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin, when the No. 3 car spun both drivers around and out of contention, leaving him to take the victory.
The move brought widespread outrage from fans and drivers, with Hamlin calling for NASCAR’s governing body to punish Dillon. Logano drove into the RCR pit box after the race and aggressively spun his tyres in front of the celebrating team; a move which landed him with a $50,000 (£38.6k) fine.
Three days after the race, NASCAR’s governing body reached its verdict and allowed Dillon to keep his victory. However, he was docked 25 points from his championship tally and was stripped of his playoff eligibility.
So, with that in mind, Full Oversteer covers everything you need to know about Austin…
How old is Austin Dillon? When was he born?
Dillon is 34 years old, and he was born in Welcome, North Carolina on April 27, 1990.
How tall is Austin Dillon? What is his height in feet?
Dillon stands at 5’8, measuring at 173cm.
Does Austin Dillon have a reality show?
Dillon appeared in his own reality TV series in 2022, following his lifestyle on and off the race track, called Austin Dillon’s Life in the Fast Lane.
Austin Dillon’s NASCAR cup series career stats
As of the 2023 season, Dillon has registered a few standout results in the Cup Series.
NASCAR titles: 0
NASCAR race entries: 371
NASCAR wins: 4
NASCAR poles: 6
NASCAR top fives: 22
NASCAR top 10s: 75