The Phoenix race snapped a Chevrolet winning streak after Christopher Bell grabbed the checkered flag in his  #20 Toyota Camry. No Chevy made the top five places which Toyotas and Fords dominated. One Chevrolet driver, Austin Dillon, continued his drab fate of losses with little hope on the horizon.

Austin Dillon, grandson of the legendary team owner Richard Childress, failed to make a mark in 2024. Starting from the Daytona 500, Dillon could not crack an opening into the top 20 for three races. However, he narrowly fumbled for a 16th-place finish in Las Vegas. A NASCAR insider recently weaved a playful joke around Dillon’s misfortune.

Austin Dillon’s poor luck feared to spread to others

Recently, Sirius XM NASCAR Radio host Dave Moody took a cruel dig at Austin Dillon’s misfortune. He tweeted, “Man, what luck for Austin Dillon. If I board a plane and he’s on it, I’m thinking seriously about getting off.”

After scoring a top spot in the Craftsman Truck series, Dillon flagged off his NASCAR journey. In 2010, he was the top Craftsman Truck Series rookie and became the champion and most popular driver in 2011. He grabbed the Xfinity Series championship in 2013. But once he forayed into the Cup level, his spark may have dimmed a little.

Across 11 years of competing full time for Richard Childress Racing, Austin Dillon has scored just four Cup victories. These include the 2017 Coca-Cola 600, the 2018 Daytona 500, a 500-miler in Texas in 2020, and the 2022 summer 400-miler in Daytona.

2023 did not show mercy to Dillon. He claimed the year was one of those when he “got kicked and kicked”. He scored zero poles, zero wins, seven top-10 finishes, and ranked 29th in points. After a lot of struggles and crashes, there was some hope towards the end of the year.

But those hopes were dashed with the start of 2024. Dillon is well aware of his dismal scenario, and harbors positivity in the corners of his heart. “Losing hurts, but it also gives me the confidence that there’s a pattern,” Dillon said. “There’s a reason I’m able to get to the end and be in a position to win. I lean back on that confidence, that pattern I’ve been able to create. I use that (confidence) to my advantage.”

Dillon is also clear about his long-term goal. “I need to go further than I’ve ever gone in the Playoffs. My ultimate goal since getting to Cup is to be the first guy to win the championship in (Cup, Xfinity, and Trucks). That’s still where my head is.”

Austin Dillon’s fate did not stop at poor finishes but was also marked by a near-fatal crash which once had Dale Jr nearly in “tears.”

Dillon’s shocking wreck had Dale Jr genuinely worried

Trending

Exclusive: Team Kicked Out by NASCAR After a Driver “Snitched” on Them

April 24, 2024 02:22 AM EDT

NASCAR Veterans Take a Dig at Jimmie Johnson’s Star for ‘Wrecking Whole Toyota Line’ With Wild Dale Jr Accusation

April 24, 2024 06:08 PM EDT

Uncertain “Political Environment” Cause Kyle Busch and Richard Childress Racing to Take a Major Sponsorship Hit

April 18, 2024 05:43 AM EDT

“You’re Pissing Me Off” – Dale Earnhardt Jr Instantly Shuts Down Denny Hamlin’s Solution to Better Talladega

April 24, 2024 12:05 PM EDT

“Just Push Her”: Denny Hamlin Asks Tony Stewart’s Sensation To Move Hailie Deegan Out of His Way

April 23, 2024 06:34 AM EDT

Get instantly notified of the hottest NASCAR stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.

Follow Us

The Coke Zero race in 2015 turned out to be a fateful one for both Austin Dillon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. When Denny Hamlin was sent spinning into Dillon by Kevin Harvick, Dillon’s car flung up into the catch fence. Driving at a speed of over 200 mph, Dillon suffered an impact of over 40Gs. To make matters worse, Brad Keselowski hit the No. 3 car again, which had caught flames by the time.

Dale Jr. was reminded of his father’s tragedy and was almost on the verge of breaking down. “I was near tears. I didn’t even know who it was, but you just don’t want to see anybody get hurt. It’s an awful feeling.”

Keselowski was embarrassed about his wreck. “I saw his first impact and I knew when I was gonna hit him the second time that his odds were a lot lower of walking away. But thankfully, he did. Even being as far behind as I was, you couldn’t slow down from 200 miles an hour, that was frustrating. I felt very, very lucky when I got out of my car and went to Austin and saw that he was OK.”

Austin Dillon’s stars may not seem to be aligned yet, but let’s keep our fingers crossed in hopes of a dazzling breakthrough shortly.

Austin Cindric Acquits Richard Childress’ Grandson, Pins Blame on Team Penske’s Disappointing Phoenix Qualification