Austin Dillon Bio
Austin Reed Dillon (born April 27, 1990) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 3 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Richard Childress Racing. A two-time NASCAR national-series champion, he is the grandson of RCR team owner Richard Childress and the son of former racer Mike Dillon. He is best known for winning the 2018 Daytona 500 and the 2017 Coca-Cola 600.
Early Life and Background
Austin Reed Dillon was born on April 27, 1990, in Welcome, North Carolina. He grew up surrounded by racing, as the grandson of Richard Childress Racing founder Richard Childress and the son of Mike Dillon, a former driver who later became RCR’s general manager. His younger brother, Ty Dillon, also became a professional stock car racer, and the two brothers would later co-found a sports management agency.
Dillon began his racing journey in Bandolero and Legends cars before moving on to dirt track racing. He trained at the school run by dirt late model racer Dale McDowell, building the foundation for his stock car career. He also played in the 2002 Little League World Series in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania, an experience that later earned him a spot in the Little League Hall of Excellence in 2019.
He attended High Point University on a part-time basis while pursuing his racing career, eventually graduating in 2018. His education, family background, and early racing exposure shaped his path toward the top levels of American motorsports.
Path to NASCAR
Dillon climbed NASCAR’s development ladder in classic fashion. In 2008, he won the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Rookie of the Year after running the full schedule in the No. 3 Chevrolet, first for Andy Santerre Motorsports and then for Richard Childress Racing. He scored one win at Greenville-Pickens Speedway, one pole, and ten top-ten finishes in thirteen starts.
In 2009, he made his first Camping World Truck Series start at Iowa Speedway, driving the No. 3 truck. The following year, he ran the full Truck Series schedule, earning Rookie of the Year honors and capturing his first career NASCAR victory at Iowa in July 2010. By the end of 2010, he had two Truck Series wins and seven poles, firmly establishing himself as one of the sport’s top young prospects.
In 2011, he added two more Truck Series wins, including a victory at Nashville Superspeedway and another at Chicagoland Speedway, and was crowned the 2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Champion. The same year, he made his Cup Series debut at Kansas Speedway in October, finishing 26th, and soon announced his move to the Nationwide Series full-time in 2012.
Austin Dillon Career
Early Career (2008-2011)
Dillon’s earliest national-level success came in the NASCAR Camping World East Series, where he was the 2008 Rookie of the Year. After four races, his team moved under the Richard Childress Racing banner, and he promptly scored a win at Greenville-Pickens Speedway. That season established him as a rising star in the Dillon racing family.
Moving to the Camping World Truck Series, he quickly became a championship threat. In 2010, he earned Rookie of the Year honors, then won the series title in 2011 with two victories and the Most Popular Driver Award. These early achievements set the stage for his transition to NASCAR’s national touring divisions.
NASCAR Xfinity Series Breakthrough (2012-2013)
Dillon moved up to the Nationwide Series full-time in 2012, driving the famed No. 3 Chevrolet for RCR. He won his first career Nationwide Series race at Kentucky Speedway in June 2012, dominating the event by leading all but eight laps. However, the car failed post-race inspection, and the win did not count toward official records.
The following year, he became the 2013 NASCAR Nationwide Series Champion. His title run was historic and unusual, as he did not win a single race during the season, the first time a champion in any of NASCAR’s three national series went winless. He also holds the record for most consecutive poles in the Xfinity Series with four.
NASCAR Cup Series Breakthrough (2014-2018)
Dillon began full-time Cup Series competition in 2014, driving the iconic No. 3 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing. He won the pole for the 2014 Daytona 500 at 196.019 miles per hour, the fourth time the No. 3 had been on pole for the race. He finished second in the Rookie of the Year standings to Kyle Larson.
His first Cup Series victory came at the 2017 Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. He passed Jimmie Johnson, who ran out of fuel on lap 399, and held off Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. to give the No. 3 its first Cup win since Dale Earnhardt’s 2000 victory at Talladega. The following year, he won the 2018 Daytona 500, coming from a lap down within twenty laps to go and making contact with Aric Almirola on the final lap to take the checkered flag. The win came twenty years after Earnhardt’s only Daytona 500 victory and seventeen years to the day of Earnhardt’s death.
Richard Childress Racing Era (2019-Present)
Dillon has remained with Richard Childress Racing throughout his Cup Series career. He has worked with several crew chiefs, including Danny Stockman, Justin Alexander, Keith Rodden, and Richard Boswell. His partnership with RCR has produced a total of six Cup Series wins, 85 top-ten finishes, and six poles, with consistent playoff appearances during the strongest stretches of his career.
Outside of NASCAR, Dillon co-owns the Carolina Cowboys of the Professional Bull Riders Team Series, serving as general manager since 2022. The team won the 2025 PBR Team Series Championship. He also co-owns Team Dillon Management with his brother Ty, a sports management agency representing several NASCAR drivers and golfers.
Driving Style and Strengths
Dillon is best known for his strength on superspeedways and high-banked intermediate tracks. His breakthrough Cup wins came at Daytona and Charlotte, and he has been a consistent top performer in restrictor-plate races. He has also shown the ability to manage fuel-mileage races and capitalize on late-race opportunities, a hallmark of his 2017 Coca-Cola 600 victory.
Notable Races and Milestones
His most significant milestones include the 2018 Daytona 500 victory, the 2017 Coca-Cola 600 win, and his 2013 Nationwide Series title. He also won the 2011 Camping World Truck Series championship and the 2014 Daytona 500 pole. Other notable moments include his dramatic flip in the 2015 Coke Zero 400, in which he walked away largely uninjured, and his controversial 2024 Richmond win, which was later encumbered by NASCAR.
Austin Dillon Career Wins
Austin Dillon has collected wins across NASCAR’s three national series, along with regional and invitational events. He is a two-time national-series champion, having won the 2011 Camping World Truck Series and the 2013 Nationwide Series titles.
NASCAR Cup Series Highlights
Through the 2025 season, Dillon has six NASCAR Cup Series wins, 85 top-ten finishes, and six poles. His first Cup victory came at the 2017 Coca-Cola 600, and his most recent came at the 2025 Cook Out 400 at Richmond. He has also won the 2018 Daytona 500 and a 2020 race at Texas Motor Speedway, where he ended an 88-race winless streak. He has qualified for the Cup Series playoffs multiple times and reached as high as 11th in the final standings.
NASCAR Xfinity and Truck Series Highlights
In the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts (formerly Xfinity) Series, Dillon has nine wins, 107 top-ten finishes, and 17 poles. His first win came in 2012 at Kentucky Speedway, and his most recent was the 2018 LTi Printing 250 at Michigan. In the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, he recorded seven wins, 48 top-ten finishes, and 13 poles, with his first victory at Iowa in 2010 and his last at New Hampshire in 2015. He also won the ARCA Menards Series East race at Greenville-Pickens in 2008.
| Series | Wins | Top Tens | Poles |
|---|---|---|---|
| NASCAR Cup Series | 6 | 85 | 6 |
| NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts (Xfinity) Series | 9 | 107 | 17 |
| NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series | 7 | 48 | 13 |
Austin Dillon Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Dillon comes from one of NASCAR’s most recognized racing families. His maternal grandfather, Richard Childress, is the founder and owner of Richard Childress Racing. His father, Mike Dillon, is a former racing driver and currently serves as RCR’s general manager. His younger brother, Ty Dillon, has also competed full-time in NASCAR’s top three national series. The two brothers co-own Team Dillon Management, a sports management agency.
Personal Life
Dillon became engaged to former NFL cheerleader Whitney Ward on August 9, 2016. The couple married on December 9, 2017, at Childress Vineyards in Lexington, North Carolina. Their son was born on June 14, 2020. Dillon is a graduate of High Point University, where he attended on a part-time basis while racing.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season has been a story of perseverance for Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing team. With Richard Boswell taking over as crew chief for the 2025 season, Dillon opened the year with a 23rd-place finish at the Daytona 500. He later strung together three consecutive top-ten finishes at Bristol, Talladega, and Texas, showing flashes of speed on a variety of track types.
After a stretch of inconsistent results through the summer, Dillon broke through at the right time, winning the Cook Out 400 at Richmond right before the playoffs began. The victory was his first since the 2024 season and came without the controversy that had marked his previous win at the same track. The momentum carried into the postseason, giving RCR renewed confidence heading into the closing stretch of the year.
Looking ahead, Dillon and RCR will aim to build on the late-season win and push deep into the playoffs. The combination of Boswell’s leadership on the pit box, Dillon’s experience, and RCR’s growing competitive program has positioned the No. 3 team as a potential factor in the championship picture.
