CONCORD, N.C. – Austin Dillon generated a buzz in 2008 by winning a high-stakes Late Model race on the high-banked dirt oval at Wythe Raceway in Rural Retreat, Va.
The stakes are about to get much bigger for the 19-year-old grandson of NASCAR power broker Richard Childress.
Dillon will move up to a regular role in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series this season. And his Bass Pro Shops sponsored Chevrolet will feature the black No. 3 immortalized by the most famous driver in the Childress stable – the late Dale Earnhardt.
“Dale is the one who made the number 3 famous and my grandfather was able to be a big part of that,” Dillon said. “Anytime we get that number on the track, we want it to run good and that’s what I’m focused on.
According to Childress, Dillon asked for the No. 3 on his truck.
“And it isn’t that we just gave this ride to Austin,” Childress said. “He had to go out and earn it.”
Austin Dillon made his NASCAR debut in 2008, recording six top-five finishes en route to a second-place finish in the points standings. Dillon, son of former Nationwide driver and current RCR vice president of competition Mike Dillon, also has experience in the Nationwide and ARCA series.
Dillon, who balances his racing career with a full-time class load at High Point University in North Carolina, said he draws off the experienced cast in the truck series. One of his mentors is former series champion, Mike Skinner. The Richard Childress Racing team won the inaugural truck series season in 1995 championship with Skinner behind the wheel.
“[Skinner] has helped me a ton,” said Dillon, who ran just two truck races last year. “It’s cool because [Skinner] drove the No. 3 when I was younger and I got to spend time with him at the shop. It’s great to have Skinner to go to now.”
No driver has run the No. 3 in a NASCAR event since Earnhardt died following an accident on the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500.
“It was my number originally, but Dale Earnhardt made it famous,” Childress said. “We all know that and we respect that.”
Childress said Tuesday on the NASCAR Sprint Media Tour that he hasn’t ruled out bringing the No. 3 back to the top level of NASCAR.
“We don’t really have plans to run it in Cup, but you never know… if an Earnhardt comes along some day,” Childress said. “You never say never.”
RCR last competed full time in the series in 1999 with former Henderson Motorsports driver, Jay Sauter.
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement