Breakthrough win gives Dillon relief
Austin Dillon, grandson of Hall of Fame team owner Richard Childress, drove the No. 3 Chevrolet to his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory in 133 races at the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. It was the first time the No. 3 had gone to the winner’s circle since Dale Earnhardt won the Winston 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on Oct. 15, 2000. Dillon, 27, spoke about his first Cup series win and his grandfather’s reaction.
On going to New York to close the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday: “I haven’t had a real good chance to slow down, but there’s time for that, I’m sure, at some point. It’s been a blast.
“It’s been amazing. Got to spend some time with Grandfather yesterday in New York. Couple moments every now and then it hits you, and you feel blessed. You almost come to tears because of all the work you’ve put in to get to this point. It’s special.”
On what his grandfather has said to him since the win: “Dinner last night in New York, he bought us a bottle of champagne, and we had a toast. For him to do a toast at the table and say, ‘Congratulations to the 600 champ,’ I thought ... it kind of choked me up for a second. It was cool.”
On what it was like to win in the No. 3: “It’s so special. We came into the Cup series, and there’s a lot of support there. You want to reward those fans with running well and get them a trophy. To add to the legacy of a number that is just outstanding, it feels good. It took long enough. I’m excited and happy for everybody that’s involved with this program and the fans.”
On whether other races will be easier now that he’s won a 600-mile race: “It’s pretty special to win one of the crown jewels of our sport. Man, you can’t ask for a better race to run well at and win. Especially being from my hometown (Welcome, N.C.). Lot of friends and family there. It was an awesome moment.”
On his season overall: “It’s been an up-and-down season, for sure. We felt like we were going to have to win to get in the Chase. That was our only goal left. Things just haven’t gone right points-wise. Had some failures. We switched crew chiefs right before the race. It was the right call, and now we’re looking at a whole different picture. We’ve got 14 races left to gain as many bonus points as we can and get ready for the Chase.”
On two upcoming race weekends at Michigan International Speedway (June 16-18 and August 11-13): “Michigan is one of those places where (there’s) a lot of high speed. I love going to Michigan. Love how wide the track gets. That makes for what I think is some good racing. You really gotta focus, because you can get lost out there. That’s a big track, and if you miss your line, it costs a bunch of time each lap. Gotta be focused and really work on hitting your marks at that place.”
On what’s next and what the win
does for his career: “What’s next? The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series AAA 400 Drive For Autism on Sunday at 1 o’clock. That’s our next big race, and that’s all I’m focused on, truthfully. Just want to go out there and win that race.”
On if he wishes he had more time to celebrate his first Cup win: “That’s just our sport, man. You’re the best for one week. The only guy that gets to be the best for more than one week is usually the champion.
“There’s 40 guys trying to take it from you. It makes it special, and the next weekend there’s a new opportunity for guys that didn’t win. It’s a wild sport, unlike any other.”
On if winning is a relief: “It’s definitely a relief. You go through so much in the sport, and you wonder if it’s ever going to happen, if it can happen. And then when it does, it’s like, ‘All right, I can do this.’ Now it’s time to go to work and get some more. It’s pretty cool.”