Childress wants grandson to make gradual transition into Nationwide Series
BRISTOL, Tenn. – Austin Dillon is tentatively scheduled to make his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut in the Richard Childress Racing No. 21 at Richmond International Raceway.
Dillon, the grandson of team owner Richard Childress, is currently competing in the Camping World Series. Childress says he doesn't have plans beyond the Sept. 5 race for the 18-year-old driver.
"We'll just see how it goes from there," he said. "He's never run a radial tire. We're going to try to run him a little and see how he does on radials."
Childress said that Dillon is testing some, first with a truck at RIR and then at Iowa in a Nationwide car.
Childress says that it has been fun watching his grandson learn the ropes and that he has received outside input on his performance from others.
"I listen to other people, too," he said. "Kenny Schrader and Kenny Wallace has raced with them and guys like that will tell you kind of what they think of them. I guess the feedback's been good so far."
He admits that working with his grandson, though, is a little different than working with his Cup drivers.
"[I'm] more nervous watching him for sure," he said. "I've watched Cup long enough that it's just there. When it's the grandkids you really get nervous."
He plans to just watch the race and see what happens, then think about future plans for Dillon. He doesn't want to rush him along, either. He wants Dillon to be prepared before he attempts his full-scale debut in the series.
"I don't think you should push too hard and that's the reason we're not pushing Austin," Childress said. "We're not dumping him in something. We'll see how things go but right now we don't have plans for him running the whole season.
"We think he needs another year in the Camping World, a little more dirt, maybe a few ARCA races, then in 2010 take a look and see. He'll be a senior this year … I don't think you should push. He needs at least two to three years."
