Getty Austin Dillon has set a new career mark at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Dillon just broke new ground in his career. He secured his fifth top-five finish of the Cup Series season at Homestead-Miami Speedway, and he set a new career-high mark.
Dillon’s previous best season in terms of top-10s and top-fives was in 2016. He posted 13 top-10 finishes and four top-fives, but he did not reach Victory Lane. 2020 was also a high-water mark for the driver of the No. 3 as he had nine top-10 finishes, four top-10s, and a win at Texas Motor Speedway.
Race results from @HomesteadMiami.
Fast-forward to the 2022 season, which has featured strong runs from Dillon. He has 11 top-10 finishes, a career-high five top-fives, and a win at Daytona International Speedway that punched his ticket to the playoffs and eliminated Martin Truex Jr. from contention. He is also 11th in points, which ties his career-bests from 2017 and 2020.
Dillon Had Some Mid-Race Struggles
GettyAustin Dillon turned in another top-5 finish.
The driver of the No. 3 struggled during qualifying while showcasing a neon Huk scheme on his Chevrolet Camaro. He started 32nd in the 36-car field, but he quickly began picking off other drivers and working his way through the field. He was up to fifth by the end of Stage 1, which secured some important points.
Dillon did not secure any points at the end of Stage 2. He was running 17th overall as the segment came to an end under caution for some debris in Turn 2. This was mostly due to a very long pit stop that led to him losing numerous positions on the track.
Once the third stage began, Dillon began working his way through the field once again. He put himself in contention for a top-five finish, and he also turned some heads by diving to the bottom of the track and making the field go three-wide.
Dillon didn’t quite have what he needed to fight for the win, but he kept himself near the front of the pack during an action-packed final run to the checkered flag. He ultimately left the Florida track with 39 points and a new career-best mark.
“We didn’t spend a lot of time right there in that clean air,” Dillon said after the race. “If we got up there a little earlier, we might have been able to adjust the car and make some changes that probably could have taken us to be able to pass the next couple of cars. There were only three in front of us and at one point in that little run, I thought we were going to run them down. We gained a couple tenths on them.”
Dillon Has Adjusted to the Next Gen Era
GettyAustin Dillon can pursue more top-5 finishes.
Prior to the 2022 season, Dillon had made eight starts at Homestead-Miami Speedway. He had finished all of the races, but he only had two top-10 finishes (2019 and 2020). The situation changed in 2022 as he drove the Next Gen Chevrolet to a fourth-place finish.
This performance continued a trend that began with the West Coast swing of the Cup Series schedule. Dillon has adapted quite well to the Next Gen car, and he has put himself in a position for numerous top-10s and top-fives. The trip to Florida is only the latest example.
Dillon will now close out the schedule with an opportunity to add more top-fives to his resume. He will first take on Martinsville Speedway, a track where he finished third during the spring race.
Dillon will then close out the season with a trip to Phoenix Raceway, the track where he ran inside the top 10 in all three stages. However, he finished 21st after contact from Daniel Suarez sent the No. 3 into the wall coming out of the final turn.