NASCAR
Can Austin Dillon Bring Back-to-back Daytona 500 Wins to Richard Childress Racing?
1 year removed from his huge win in the 2018 Daytona 500, can Austin Dillon bring the 3 car to victory lane again? Dillon and his Richard Childress Racing 3 team are looking to become the first back-to-back Daytona 500 champions in more than 25 years.
Looking Back on Last Year
Throughout much of the Daytona 500 a season ago, the 3 was up in the lead draft, but not leading. A crash Dillon narrowly avoided on lap 199 set up overtime. On this restart, Dillon was lined up 4th, immediately behind Aric Almirola. The 10 of Almirola would take the lead on the last lap. However, Almirola would be turned on the backstretch by Dillon. Dillon went on to take his first win in The Great American Race, after leading just the last lap.
What’s Different for Dillon in 2019?
For the 2019 season, Austin Dillon and the 3 have a new crew chief. However, it’s a man Dillon has plenty of experience with, Danny Stockman. Dillon qualified 10th through the Duels on Thursday, finishing 9th in Duel 2.
In RCR’s 50th season, Dillon is looking to win the biggest race of the year in back-to-back years. Amazingly, his odds are the exact same as they were last year, 40-1.
While Dillon may not be a favorite to win back-to-back Daytona 500s, do not overlook his past success at Daytona. In 11 Daytona starts, Dillon has the 1 win, 2 top 5s, 7 top 10s, and an average finish of 13.4. He’s only DNF’d at Daytona once before, so Dillon is good at keeping the car running at the finish.
Tune in on Sunday for all of your Daytona 500 coverage, to see if Austin Dillon can in fact win it in back-to-back years. The broadcast for the 61st Daytona 500 starts at 2 PM EST, on Fox, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
