Austin Dillon on Late Aggressiveness: ‘You Do What It Takes’

With Joey Logano sending William Byron into the wall at Darlington Raceway, there are questions about what NASCAR drivers will do to secure the all-important win. Austin Dillon has weighed in and said that the aggressiveness is a product of the current system.

The driver of the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet met with media members on May 12 to preview the trip to Kansas Speedway. He explained that these aggressive moves are more difficult at 1.5-mile tracks because there is always the danger of taking yourself out of the race. Though Dillon continued and explained that the opportunities for aggressive moves are really the only way to get the important win.

“I think that’s what NASCAR has put together with this Playoff system, that wins mean so much and you do what it takes when it comes down to it to go to Victory Lane,” Dillon explained. “I think everybody’s organizations would be upset if they didn’t.”

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Dillon Doesn’t Expect To ‘Feel Bad’ About a Race-Winning Move

Celebrating with the trophy in Victory Lane is an experience that all drivers want to have. But how far are they willing to go to achieve this goal? For many drivers, especially those that haven’t won before, they will move other cars out of the way without a second thought.

Dillon said that there are scenarios where drivers will feel bad about making one of these aggressive moves, but they will still take the opportunity to get a win and reach the playoffs. Though he said that they have to guarantee that they will actually win instead of end up on the back of a tow truck.

“When you’re within range and you’ve got an opportunity with the way it is to pass and what wins mean, you’ve got to do it. It just sucks when it doesn’t work out. It’s part of the game and how much importance has been put on winning races. Yeah, some might feel bad if it comes down to that. But if you take home a trophy to your organization and all the guys that put in hours on hours on hours of time into these race cars, they’ll probably have your back in the end.”

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Dillon Will Pursue a Trophy of His Own at Kansas

The veteran Cup Series driver has not reached Victory Lane since Texas Motor Speedway in 2020, but he has come close multiple times. He has two runner-ups in 2022, as well as a third-place finish at Martinsville Speedway.

Dillon will now try to return to Victory Lane during the trip to Kansas Speedway. He hasn’t won at the track before, but he has five top-10 finishes. This includes a pair of 10th-place finishes during the 2021 season.

There is no clear path to Victory Lane, but Dillon has been testing out some different options in the simulator. He has specifically focused on running up against the wall after noticing a significant difference in speed between the top and the bottom lanes.

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