RCR’s Austin Dillon making the grade both on and off the track
Richard Childress Racing development driver Austin Dillon will attend High Point University in High Point, N.C., in the fall. // Team Dillon Racing, Courtesy
CONCORD, N.C. - After his grandson Austin Dillon whipped the field by leading all 25 laps in the FASTRAK Late Model Series feature race at The Dirt Track at Lowe's Motor Speedway Friday evening, NASCAR Sprint Cup team owner Richard Childress reminisced about another special day in victory lane. That day was in 1991 with the late Dale Earnhardt.
"I remember Dale holding Austin in his arms when he was just a baby in victory lane at Martinsville [Speedway]," the owner of Richard Childress Racing said. "If you've seen that [photo] of Dale holding him in his arms, you'd know what I mean when I saw how special it is to see that black No. 3 car dominating like Dale used to in it."
On April 28, 1991, the day after Dillon turned 1, the eventual seven-time Cup champion dominated the race by leading 251 laps at Martinsville. Earnhardt won his second consecutive championship that year and fifth overall. He won two more championships in 1993-94, before his tragic death during the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500.
"I'm really proud of him," Childress said of his grandson. "Austin has a knack for this dirt track and both him and Ty [Austin's younger brother] are just doing great and I'm proud of both of them."
While both grandsons are development drivers at RCR, the two also compete for Team Dillon Racing, a team created by their father, Mike Dillon. The elder Dillon, Childress' son-in-law, works as vice president of competition at RCR.
Ryan Gifford also drives the No. 29 machine for TDR in the FASTRAK Last Model Series and finished 10th in the feature Friday night.
Ty Dillon finished fourth in the B Main event and was not among the top three drivers who advanced to the feature that his brother won for the second time in three years. Childress said Ty, a sophomore in high school, will make his debut in the NASCAR Camping World East Series in 2010.
"Ty didn't get a very good draw, but Austin had his car really working," Childress said of Friday night's event. “Austin’s been in the spotlight a lot lately, but Ty won nine of these [FASTRAK] races last year and it’s going to be interesting to see how Ty does in the [Camping World East Series]. Watch out for Ty Dillon, too. He’ll be right there.”
Even though his summer will be mostly spent racing in either the ARCA, NASCAR Nationwide Series or Camping World East Series, Austin Dillon, who recently graduated high school, will be attending High Point University in nearby High Point, N.C., and plans to major in communications.
He is scheduled to compete in six more Nationwide Series events this season, and his 2010 race schedule will likely include up to 20 NNS attempts.
“I really like the marketing side of racing and that’s why I’m majoring in communications,” the 19-year-old Dillon said. “I really like to talk, as if you can’t tell, and I’d like to learn more about the business side of racing and I can learn that in college, instead of just at the track.”
Dillon’s mother, Tina Dillon - who is Childress’ only daughter - stressed that her oldest son has done pretty good balancing his responsibilities, from getting good grades to doing well at the race track.
“We really want him to get that education,” Tina Dillon said. “We try to have both [Austin and Ty] realize that having an education is important because you never know what can turn out for you.”
