Austin Dillon returns to Richmond: RCR driver reflects on 'one of my favorite wins,' controversy that followed

Austin Dillon is back at Richmond Raceway — a place where just one year ago so much went right, but so much went wrong. The good? Dillon led 35 laps and took the checkered flag for just the fifth time in his NASCAR Cup Series career. The bad? Everything that happened in Turns 3 and 4 on the final lap.

Dillon first wrecked race-leader Joey Logano, and then intentionally right-rear hooked Denny Hamlin. NASCAR allowed him to keep the win but rescinded his playoff eligibility. Dillon’s opportunity to compete for a championship was taken away from him — by his own doing. Still, he thinks fondly of that night at Richmond, remembering it as “one of my favorite wins.”

“It was still a big day, and I’ll always remember it as one of my favorite wins,” Dillon said ahead of Saturday’s Cook Out 400 at Richmond, via Nick DeGroot of Motorsport. “We got the trophy, just not the NASCAR Playoffs spot. That part was a struggle, and I hate it for RCR, but this year, going back, I definitely want to go out there and try to win again, but this time lock ourselves into the Playoffs.

“We had a dominant car last year and really came on strong at the end. We had a multiple-second lead and passed two of the best to do it, so that’s pretty cool.”

Austin Dillon needs a win to secure playoff spot

The reality of last year’s race is that Dillon had it won if not for a caution with two laps remaining. Logano cleared him off the overtime restart and Dillon, needing a win to clinch a playoff berth, went overly aggressive in that final corner to get by him.

One year later, Dillon finds himself in the same predicament. He needs a win to get into the 16-driver postseason field. Dillon is looking forward to Saturday night, a chance to repeat at Richmond and actually claim a playoff spot.

“I’m pumped to get to Richmond Raceway in the No. 3 Chevrolet,” Dillon said. “I’ve been excited about that one all year. I just want to get there and see if we can be as successful as last year. We had a two-second lead with however many laps remaining in the race, drove past Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano, and the car was just really solid.

“Unfortunately, an untimely caution put us in a difficult position. We worked a little bit this week in the SIM just to see how it correlated, and I thought it correlated very well. We will go there and give it our best shot. Feel like it could be a good opportunity to put us into the NASCAR Playoffs with just two races remaining until the cutoff.”