Dillon Collects Needed Top 10 In Solid Bristol Showing

Austin Dillon in action at Bristol Motor Speedway. (Jacob Seelman/Race Face Digital photo)

BRISTOL, Tenn. - It’s no secret in 2025 that Richard Childress Racing needs to bounce back. After organizational struggles last year, the team needs to perform.

Sunday afternoon in the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway, Austin Dillon finally broke through and backed up that statement.

Dillon came home 10th and captured his first top 10 of the young NASCAR Cup Series season, his highest finish since his Daytona 500 Duel qualifying race, when he was seventh during Speedweeks in February.

“We really came on strong there at the end of the final stage and pit cycle. Our No. 3 Get Bioethanol Chevrolet was just too tight to start the race, and then when it kind of moved up, we had something to compete with,” said Dillon. “I wish we could have made our way forward a little sooner because I think our Chevy had runs in it that were capable of a top-five finish.

“But overall, that was big for us right there.”

The 34-year-old entered the weekend with decent speed after being scored 14th in practice and starting the race in 17th on Sunday.

Dillon hung around the low teens for the majority of the race, but methodical maneuvering through traffic, a solid day on pit road, and a strong strategy was enough for the Welcome, N.C., native to turn a seemingly sub-par day into a season-best finish.

Despite falling short of capturing stage points, he secured his best finish at The Last Great Colosseum in five years and his first finish 15th of better at the Tennessee half-mile since 2021.

While a 10th-place finish may be common for others, this break in a rocky start for Dillon was much needed.

In four out of eight races, Dillon had finished outside the top 20, and recently at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway he finished where he started the Throwback weekend race: in 23rd, a common ground for the No. 3 team this year.

However, with his best Bristol finish since 2020, momentum could possibly blossom into something good headed into the back-half of April with the tracks coming up. Currently, the Cup Series is headed into their only off-week of the season for the Easter holiday, and Dillon’s team has good momentum.

After the break to begin a 28-week stretch toward the November finale is Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, which has been arguably RCR’s most consistent track for results the last three years.

Dillon has two top 10s on the high banks of Alabama since 2022, and was eighth last fall. The following week in May is Texas Motor Speedway, where Dillon won in 2020 and was also eighth last season.

The final race before the All-Star break at North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway will be a trip to Kansas Speedway, where Dillon was 12th in 2024 and was 10th in 2023.

All it takes is one race to turn it around for a team, and for Dillon, there is a path toward righting his season when the Cup Series returns to action for the three races before the NASCAR All-Star Race.

With a strong result Dillon jumps one spot from 27th to 26th in the regular season standings, ahead of Daniel Suarez and 43 points back of 16th place, the final playoff spot currently held by A.J. Allmendinger.

Following the Easter holiday, the Cup Series returns to Talladega Superspeedway for the Jack Link’s 500. Broadcast coverage is slated for Sunday, April 27 at 3 p.m. ET, live on FOX, the Motor Racing Network, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.