Austin Dillon
Name: Austin Dillon
Nickname: N/A
Date of Birth: April 27, 1990 (age 24)
Hometown: Lewisville, North Carolina
Family: driver Ty Dillon, brother; team owner Richard Childress, grandfather
First Career Start: October 9, 2011 (Kansas)
Car Number and Make: #3 Chevrolet SS
Primary Sponsors:
- Dow Chemicals
- Cheerios
- Bass Pro Shops
- American Ethanol
Team: Richard Childress Racing
Teammates: Paul Menard, Ryan Newman, Ty Dillon, Brian Scott
Best Career Points Finish: 20th (2014)
Career Victories: 0
Notable Wins: N/A
Description: Young and promising are two good words to describe Austin Dillon. Young, as in he's only 24 years old going into his second full year in NASCAR's top series, and promising, as in he was as consistent as you could ask from a rookie.
Sure, Dillon didn't win any races in his rookie season, and he only scored four top 10 finishes in 36 races. However, I'd counter with the fact that he was a consistent top 15 to top 20 driver every race, which is perfect for a rookie, and he also didn't wreck many cars throughout the season. Plus, he notched the pole position for the biggest race of the year, the Daytona 500.
And just looking a few seasons back into Dillon's Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series again shows his immense potential. He won the Truck Series title in 2011 and followed that up with a Nationwide Series title in 2013, and now puts himself in position to perhaps become the first driver to ever win a title in NASCAR's top three divisions.
He may not be flashy, aside from sporting a cowboy hat every weekend. He may not have burst on to the Sprint Cup scene quite like fellow 2014 rookie Kyle Larson. And he may still be dealing with some hate for bringing back the #3 car. But as long as Richard Childress Racing can bring its program back up to where it was in years past, Dillon has put himself in position to become a formidable driver in the coming years.
Fun Facts: Dillon played in the Little League World Series in 2002 at the age of 12.
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