Austin Dillon snapped a long winless streak when he won at Texas Motor Speedway last Sunday, and a statement win it was. (Photos courtesy of NASCAR)
By John Sturbin | Senior WriterRacinToday.com
FORT WORTH, Texas Austin Dillon did his pop-pop proud, and zinged his critics, after leading a 1-2 sweep for Richard Childress Racing in Sundays 24th annual OReilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.
The 30-year-old grandson of team-owner/NASCAR Hall of Famer Childress, Dillon withstood three restarts in the latter stages of the 334-lap NASCAR Cup Series race while battling rookie teammate Tyler Reddick and Cup champions Joey Logano of Team Penske and Kyle Busch of Joe Gibbs Racing.
Not bad for a silver-spoon kid, right? Ill take that, said Dillon, a sarcastic reference to a label put on him by Kevin Harvick during his tenure at RCR. Tyler Reddick, he raced me clean. 1-2 for RCR _ this has been coming. Weve had good cars all year (thanks to crew chief) Justin Alexander and my whole crew.
Dillons third career Cup victory snapped an 88-race winless streak and returned the No. 3 Chevrolet made famous by seven-time series champion Dale Earnhardt (six at RCR) to Victory Lane.
Way to go Austin, Im so proud of you, Childress said over Dillons in-car radio during his cool-down lap around TMS high-banked/1.5-mile oval. Dillons margin of victory over Reddick, a two-time Xfinity Series champion, was 0.149-seconds.
Dillons Cup resume includes victories in two of NASCARs premier events _ his first win in the Coca-Cola 600, NASCARs longest race, at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 2017 and the 2018 Daytona 500, NASCARs season-opening Super Bowl at Daytona International Speedway. Dillon also has nine career wins in the Xfinity Series and seven career wins in the Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series. He is the 2011 Truck Series champion and the 2013 Xfinity Series champ.
Still, the first words out of his mouth post-race were directed at his so-called haters.
The Cup field took the green flag in front of actual live fans at TMS last weekend. How many fans? It didnt matter, TMS officials said.
Its OK, man.Sports are sports, Dillon said. You got to have someone you dont like.Maybe its just my background, where I come from.But I got a lot of people that love me, too.It doesnt bother me at all really.They can either get on the bandwagon and love meits OK.Its part of sports.Haters are going to hate sometimes, but well be all right.
Austin and younger brother Ty, the sons of RCR General Manager/former journeyman driver Mike Dillon, are the backbone of Childress family-oriented team based in Welcome, N.C. Childress, whose old-school/hardscrabble background was a perfect business match with Earnhardt, has no problem defending family.
You know, I think you get in the No. 3 car behind Dale Earnhardt, people think your granddaddy gave you this, said Childress, a 2017 NASCAR HOF inductee. He earned it no different than Ty Dillon.They had to earn their right to drive their cars.I think that may be a little bit of it.
We didnt give Austin the cars he needed (last year). Chevy has really worked hard and put together a great car for us.
Ill never forget 98 when Dale Earnhardt came and said, I want to retire, its me. I said, No, it isnt, Dale.We havent given you the cars.^ Cap E famously went on to win the 1998 Daytona 500 to kick-off NASCARs 50th anniversary season.
Dillon took the lead from Reddick for the first time on a restart on Lap 312 following the eighth caution on Lap 308. Alexander decided to take only left side tires and fuel during that stop.
What a call by Justin, Dillon said. Lefts had freed my car up all day.I was tight.When we put the lefts on, it was the call we needed to go on and win the race. I mean, Justins done a great job all year of putting us in good positions when it comes to track position.All three of my Cup wins are with Justin.Love the guy.I cant thank him enough for everything hes done for me and my family. Hes been putting great products out there.
He deals with me.Im not the easiest individual in the world to deal with.I can get cranky from time to time.Its just because Im passionate and Im a grinder.I feel like I can go out there and compete week and week out with these guys. This was a huge win for our company, RCR, ECR, everybody that supports us.It was really cool. It was nice to also have the ball in my court, to dictate the end of the race.
Caution No. 9 flew on Lap 320 and No. 10 was waved on Lap 330. The RCR teammates held serve on the final restart on Lap 332 as former series champions Logano and Busch squabbled for third with the former rounding out the podium.
Yeah, I had to change it up a couple of times, said Dillon, driver of the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Off Road Camaro ZL1 1LE. Definitely had to earn it. I changed it up. I waited the second one and I went on the last one. So, it worked out for me good.
Dillon led twice for a total of 22 laps, including the last 10. Reddick also led twice, for five laps. Dillon and Reddick, 24, gave RCR its first 1-2 Cup finish since Clint Bowyer and Jeff Burton placed 1-2 at Talladega Superspeedway in 2011 for the organizations 109th win.
What a great day for Richard Childress Racing, said Reddick, driver of the No. 8 Cat Oil & Gas Camaro overseen by crew chief Randall Burnett. This organization is working so hard and to have a 1-2 finish like we did is incredible. We really couldnt ask for much more than what we got today. One spot better would have been great, but the recovery this team made today was huge. Were racing for the big picture of making the Playoffs, so we have to race smart. Days like this will help us get there.
Reddick is 17th in points, 12 behind William Byron and the No. 24 Axalta Chevy fielded by Hendrick Motorsports for the 16th and final Playoff qualifying position with eight regular season events remaining.
Sundays victory secured Dillon a spot in NASCARs 10-race postseason Playoffs that includes the AAA Texas 500 weekend here Oct. 24-25.
Next up on a Cup schedule revised because of the COVID-19 pandemic is Thursday nights Super Start Batteries 400 Presented by OReilly Auto Parts at the 1.5-mile Kansas Speedway. NBC Sports Network will televise the 267-lapper at 7:30 p.m. (EDT) with radio coverage on MRN and SiriusXM Channel 90.
There has been no practice or qualifying in NASCARs three national touring series since the sports return at Darlington Raceway on May 17. On Wednesday, NASCAR announced the remainder of the 2020 season will continue to operate under that procedure.
The current format has worked well in addressing several challenges during our return to racing, Scott Miller, NASCAR Senior VP, Competition, said in a statement. Most importantly, we have seen competitive racing week-to-week. NASCAR will adjust the starting lineup draw procedure for the Playoff races and will announce the new process at a later date. Miller said this decision was made after discussions with our race teams and the broader industry, certainly including NBC Sports Group.
Dillon was treated for dehydration post-race via a couple IVs in the TMS infield care center. He and his peers battled extreme temperatures during the 501-miler that included a red flag stoppage of 11 minutes, 29 seconds after a grinding, 12-car crash along the front stretch on Lap 220. Ambient temperatures reached 96 degrees with a sauna-like heat index of 102-105 inside the cockpit.
That didnt deter Logano and Busch from pressing the RCR teammates down the stretch. Logano, the 2018 Cup champion, finished third in his No. 22 Shell Pennzoil Ford Mustang. Busch, the two-time/reigning Cup champ, finished fourth in the No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry.
Harvick, the series point leader and winner of four races this season, placed fifth in the No. 4 Mobil 1 Ford fielded by Stewart-Haas Racing. Harvick exited Texas with a 91-point lead over Ryan Blaney of Team Penske. Blaney won the first two stages and led a race-high 150 laps in his No. 12 Menards/Maytag Ford en route to a seventh-place finish.
Sundays race was the first major sporting event conducted in Texas with fans in attendance since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March, when this race originally was booked. Under guidelines issued by Gov. Greg Abbott, TMS was allowed to accommodate up to 50 percent of its listed capacity of 135,000, including suites.
TMS President/General Manager Eddie Gossage continued to be coy when asked to provide a crowd estimate Sunday. But during an in-race interview in the Press Box, Gossage said he would not be offended if the crowd count was listed somewhere between 15,000 and 20,000.
These are the folks that want to be here, said Gossage, wearing a face mask. We never were trying to set an attendance record. I told yall (media) that youre going to turn on the TV and go, Nobodys there! And the truth is theres a pretty good number here. But still, its a massive place. I was downstairs when they opened the gates and everybody seemed happy and everybody had masks on and was distancing.
Dillon parked the nose of his Camaro against the front stretch wall near the starters stand and celebrated with an extended burnout directed at the fans. Felt really good.I think it would have been awkward without them, Dillon said. Thats why I parked it right in front of them and let them smell that smoke, the burnt rubber.Everything I did was for those fans.I think they loved it.
I also gave the (checkered) flag away to a little kid.He had a Kyle Busch shirt on.I told him he needed to get a new shirt.Hopefully, I transferred him over.
Read the original here:
Racin' Today Dillon Answers 'Haters' With Victory In Texas - RacinToday.com
- Transfix Launches TrueView TMS, Offering Shippers Flexible, Consistent Capacity And Reducing Time To Tender By Up To 92% - PR Web - January 19th, 2021
- Agnew's dressing gown and Bumble's dog: it's TMS and Sky Cricket, but not as we know it - Telegraph.co.uk - January 19th, 2021
- Greenbrook TMS Provides Update on Share Consolidation and Appointment of Stephan Roker to the Board - Yahoo Finance - January 19th, 2021
- Part two: FX and hedging for SMEs - between a rock and a hard place - Finextra - January 19th, 2021
- Transcranial Magnetic Stimulators (TMS) Market Size By Analysis, Key Vendors, Regions, Type and Application, and Forecasts to 2027 - NeighborWebSJ - January 19th, 2021
- TMS Neuronavigation Systems Market Size By Analysis, Key Vendors, Regions, Type and Application, and Forecasts to 2027 - NeighborWebSJ - January 19th, 2021
- Transportation Management Systems (TMS) Industry 2020 Includes The Major Application Segments And Size In The Global Market To 2027 - NeighborWebSJ - January 19th, 2021
- Tire Mold Market 2021 financial overview of the Players such as Saehwa IMC, SeYoung TMS, King Machine, HERBERT Maschinen, Shinko Mold Industrial - KSU... - January 19th, 2021
- EnviroChill Saves Bakery from Food Disaster with New Technology - Press Release - Digital Journal - January 19th, 2021
- Lady Bulldogs Undefeated in Region Play - All On Georgia - January 19th, 2021
- Neuro Wellness TMS Centers of America in Coral Springs: There Is Relief For Depression - TAPinto.net - January 17th, 2021
- Greenbrook TMS Provides Update on Share Consolidation and Appointment of Stephan Roker to the Board - Business Wire - January 17th, 2021
- Dry Well Calibrators Market | Industry Insight 2021-2026 Covered players: Fluke, Wika Instrumentation, TMS, Electronic Development Laboratories, OMEGA... - January 17th, 2021
- Treating Major Depressive Disorder: A Lesson through the Ages - News & Features - January 5th, 2021
- Digital Piano Market 2021 to 2026 Insights & Forecast with COVID-19 Impact | Yamaha , Long Beach Music , Hamzer , Casio , TMS , and more |... - January 5th, 2021
- Technology Enhancements to the QuantaVerse Financial Crime Platform Extend its Lead in AML Innovation - PR Web - January 5th, 2021
- Transportation Management System (Tms) Market with Future Prospects, Growth, Industry Expansion Strategies, Key Player SWOT Analysis and Forecast To... - January 5th, 2021
- Trucking in 2020: A look back the year's top news, equipment and tech trends - Commercial Carrier Journal - January 5th, 2021
- Waste Collection (Waste and Recycling) Software Market Competitive landscape, Growth Strategies for Business Development, Analysis and Forecast,... - January 5th, 2021
- EDAP Announces End of the Year Focal One Sales - GlobeNewswire - January 5th, 2021
- BrainsWay Announces Publication of New Real-World OCD Data for its Deep TMS System in Journal of Psychiatric Research - GlobeNewswire - November 17th, 2020
- Transportation Management Systems (TMS) Market Size, Share, Growth Rate, Revenue, Applications, Industry Demand & Forecast to 2025 - The Think... - November 17th, 2020
- Hudson Capital and FreightHub Merge - Citybizlist - November 17th, 2020
- TMS students recognized as Blazers of the Quarter - The Torrington Telegram - November 15th, 2020
- Greenbrook TMS Reports Third Quarter Financial Results With Continued Resilient Performance Through the COVID-19 Pandemic, Announces Spravato Pilot... - November 15th, 2020
- BrainsWay Announces Publication of New Real-World OCD Data for its Deep TMS System in Journal of Psychiatric Research - Yahoo Finance - November 15th, 2020
- Freight Scouts Transforms Broker Operations with Descartes' Cloud-based Solution - DC Velocity - November 15th, 2020
- EDAP TMS SA to Announce Third Quarter 2020 Financial Results on November 18, 2020 - Yahoo Finance - November 15th, 2020
- Tenino Middle School Honored as AVID 'Site of Distinction' for Showing Marked Improvement in Past Three Years - Centralia Chronicle - November 15th, 2020
- Freight Scouts Transforms Broker Operations with Cloud-based Transportation Management and Load Tracking Visibility Solution from Descartes - IT News... - November 15th, 2020
- Five Keys to Overcoming the Barriers that Limit Dedicated Fleet Productivity - Supply Chain Management Review - November 15th, 2020
- Odyssey Logistics & Technology TMS Study Reveals Insights Amid the Pandemic on Logistics Technology and Market Conditions - PR Web - August 19th, 2020
- BulkLoads TMS product for bulk commodities will be integrated into Barchart - FreightWaves - August 19th, 2020
- Toyota Kirloskar Motor new car leasing & subscription Program through TMS - United News of India - August 19th, 2020
- Treasury Management System (TMS) Market Size By Product Analysis, By Application, By End-Users, By Regional Outlook, By Top Companies and Forecast to... - August 19th, 2020
- For those in Salem with depression, new clinic provides another resource for treatment - Salem Reporter - July 25th, 2020
- Global TMS(Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation) Coil Market 2020 Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trend and Forecast to 2025 - Red & Black... - July 25th, 2020
- ORANGEBURG PROPERTY TRANSFERS - The Times and Democrat - July 25th, 2020
- Your Healthy Family: Getting help with the stress of uncertainty during a pandemic - KOAA.com Colorado Springs and Pueblo News - July 25th, 2020
- Mauritius club fined for not doing the TMS paperwork - Inside World Football - July 25th, 2020
- Coronavirus: Fifa gives Safa the power to extend the 2019-20 PSL season - Yahoo Sports - July 25th, 2020
- Neurostimulation may herald a new treatment for depression - The Conversation CA - July 25th, 2020
- Global Transportation Management Systems (TMS) Market 2020 Industry Research Manufacturer Landscape, Revenue and Volume Analysis and Segment... - July 25th, 2020
- Live TMS Treatment from NeuroSpa TMS - WFLA - July 15th, 2020
- Strategy Systems Expands Integration with Trucker Tools, adds Book It Now to TMS Platform - DC Velocity - July 15th, 2020
- ARL Logistics Taps Trucker Tools for Smart Capacity Predictive Freight-Matching, Automated One-Click Load Booking with Book It Now - PR Web - July 15th, 2020
- Global Transportation Management System (TMS) Market 2020: Size, Share, Revenue, Growth, Supply, Top Companies and Forecast Research 2025 - Sports... - July 15th, 2020
- Coupa acquires BELLIN, targeting treasury management (Part 2: TMS Market, Competitors and TAM / Market-Sizing Considerations) - Spend Matters - June 24th, 2020
- Archerhub Launches ALVUS TMS to help Carrier Partners Grow their Businesses - DC Velocity - June 24th, 2020
- Axele TMS allows small, midsize FTL carriers to improve load planning and communications, increase profit - The Trucker - June 24th, 2020
- IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON Talent Management Systems (TMS) RESEARCH, GROWTH TRENDS AND COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS 2020-2026 - Jewish Life News - June 24th, 2020
- Addressing the potential impact of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on TMS Neuronavigation Systems Market: Industry Size, Trends and Analysis - Jewish... - June 24th, 2020
- Toll Management System(TMS) Market Overview, Environmental Analysis and Forecas - News by aeresearch - June 24th, 2020
- Interview: Steve Guttenberg on Into the Dark's Good Boy, Home for the Holidays, and His Craft - The Mary Sue - June 24th, 2020
- Active Recovery TMS Treats Depression Without Medication - KATU - June 1st, 2020
- TMS focuses on digitalisation and business transformation in third Covid-19 Webinar - Latest Maritime & Shipping News Online - The Maritime... - June 1st, 2020
- TMS ends the year, honors students with virtual award ceremony - thechronicle-news.com - June 1st, 2020
- Impact of Covid-19 Outbreak on Treasury Management System (TMS) Market 2020 Trends, Growth Opportunities, Demand, Application, Top Companies and... - June 1st, 2020
- IndyCar drivers prepare to enter a 'new world' of racing when the season resumes June 6 at Texas Motor Speedway - The Dallas Morning News - June 1st, 2020
- Work begins on Hong Kong rail extension - The Construction Index - June 1st, 2020
- Global TMS(Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation) Coil Market Along With Covid-19 Impact Analysis and Industry Outlook 2020-2026 by Magstim , MagVenture ,... - June 1st, 2020
- Alpega's Freight Exchange, Teleroute, launches an API interface and a new mobile App to help their increasing number of customers work even more... - June 1st, 2020
- Transportation Management Systems (TMS) Market Recent Trends and Developments, Challenges and Opportunities, key drivers and Restraints over the... - May 24th, 2020
- Hilton TMs Save Life of Guest Suffering Heart Attack - Franchising.com - May 24th, 2020
- UltraShipTMS Partners with LeanSwift to Deliver TMS Solutions to Shippers Using Infor M3 ERP - PR Web - May 24th, 2020
- COVID-19: Responding to the business impacts of Transportation Management Systems (TMS) Market 2020: Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Trends,... - May 24th, 2020
- Impact of Covid-19 Talent Management Software (TMS) Market Rising Trends and Global Outlook (2020 To 2027) - Latest Herald - May 4th, 2020
- From the First Message to the Last Mile, BluJay's Latest Software Releases Improve Complex Logistics - DC Velocity - May 4th, 2020
- GlobalTranz Recognized as Top Ten Freight Brokerage for a Third Consecutive Year by Transport Topics - Yahoo Finance - May 4th, 2020
- Texas Motor Speedway is hosting high school graduations for the class of 2020 - CNN - May 4th, 2020
- Texas Motor Speedway to host HS graduation ceremonies - RACER - May 4th, 2020
- Treasury Management System (TMS) Market Size by Top Key Players, Growth Opportunities, Incremental Revenue , Outlook and Forecasts to 2026 - Latest... - May 4th, 2020
- These Analysts Think Greenbrook TMS Inc.s (TSE:GTMS) Sales Are Under Threat - Simply Wall St - May 4th, 2020
- Pokmon GOs Elite TMs Arrive And Shake Up The Meta Movesets - TheGamer - May 4th, 2020
- Powerful Optimization Tool from MercuryGate Uniquely Supports the Transportation Industrys Demand to Drive a Disrupted Supply Chain - Yahoo Finance - April 11th, 2020
- Powerful Optimization Tool from MercuryGate Uniquely Supports the Transportation Industry's Demand to Drive a Disrupted Supply Chain - Business Wire - April 9th, 2020
- Alpega TMS Brings Together the Expertise of inet and Transwide - Yahoo Finance - April 9th, 2020
- The Remedy Is Now Offering Deep Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (Deep TMS) Therapy to Treat Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and Obsessive-Compulsive... - April 9th, 2020
- Time To Worry? One Analyst Just Downgraded Their EDAP TMS S.A. (NASDAQ:EDAP) Outlook - Yahoo Finance - April 9th, 2020
- Valiant latest Canadian supplier to add to arsenal of health, free of charge - Automotive News Canada - April 9th, 2020