NASCAR News: Dillon punches ticket to playoffs with Richmond win

Under the Virginia stars on August 16, 2025, Richmond Raceway pulsed with the raw energy of NASCAR’s Cook Out 400. Austin Dillon, the 35-year-old driver of the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, stood on the brink of playoff elimination. Needing a win to secure a spot in the 16-driver NASCAR Cup Series Playoff field, Dillon delivered a masterclass, leading 107 of the 400 laps—his season-high—and holding off a charging field to claim victory for the second consecutive year at the three-quarter-mile oval.

The win was a clutch performance from the 2018 Daytona 500 champion, vaulting him from 25th in the championship standings to a guaranteed playoff berth. It marked his third late-season triumph in the Cup Series, a testament to his knack for shining when the pressure peaks. Crossing the finish line 2.471 seconds ahead of Hendrick Motorsports’ Alex Bowman, Dillon climbed from his Bass Pro/Winchester Chevrolet, arms raised, and shared an emotional embrace with his brother Ty, who finished 18th.

“Man, that feels good,” Dillon said, his voice thick with gratitude. “Got to thank the good Lord above. Last year hurt bad, losing this win to a penalty. This one’s so sweet. I love Richmond.” He reflected on the journey, crediting his grandfather, NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Childress. “He’s believed in me through all the ups and downs. Could’ve been easy to swap drivers in this 3 car, but today feels darn good.”

The victory was redemption after a controversial 2024 Richmond win, stripped of playoff eligibility due to aggressive driving in the final laps. This time, Dillon’s dominance was clean and undeniable, leading the final 49 laps with precision.

Bowman, finishing second in his No. 48 Ally Chevrolet, was left frustrated by lapped traffic that stalled his late charge. “We had the better car,” he said, “but I burned the rears too hard in traffic. Needed a couple breaks.” Despite the near-miss, Bowman holds the final playoff transfer spot by 29 points over Chris Buescher, heading into the regular-season finale at Daytona.

The win was a clutch performance from the 2018 Daytona 500 champion, vaulting him from 25th in the championship standings to a guaranteed playoff berth. It marked his third late-season triumph in the Cup Series, a testament to his knack for shining when the pressure peaks. Crossing the finish line 2.471 seconds ahead of Hendrick Motorsports’ Alex Bowman, Dillon climbed from his Bass Pro/Winchester Chevrolet, arms raised, and shared an emotional embrace with his brother Ty, who finished 18th.

“Man, that feels good,” Dillon said, his voice thick with gratitude. “Got to thank the good Lord above. Last year hurt bad, losing this win to a penalty. This one’s so sweet. I love Richmond.” He reflected on the journey, crediting his grandfather, NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Childress. “He’s believed in me through all the ups and downs. Could’ve been easy to swap drivers in this 3 car, but today feels darn good.”

The victory was redemption after a controversial 2024 Richmond win, stripped of playoff eligibility due to aggressive driving in the final laps. This time, Dillon’s dominance was clean and undeniable, leading the final 49 laps with precision.

Bowman, finishing second in his No. 48 Ally Chevrolet, was left frustrated by lapped traffic that stalled his late charge. “We had the better car,” he said, “but I burned the rears too hard in traffic. Needed a couple breaks.” Despite the near-miss, Bowman holds the final playoff transfer spot by 29 points over Chris Buescher, heading into the regular-season finale at Daytona.

The race wasn’t without drama. At Lap 198, Kyle Busch made contact with Chase Briscoe entering Turn 3, causing a wreck that involved 11 cars as Briscoe spun in front of the field. Chase Elliott, who entered Saturday’s race second in points, received the brunt of it, getting turned by Busch after nearly clearing the wreck. The DNF marked his first of the season.

His No. 9 Hendrick Chevrolet limped to a 38th-place finish—his first DNF of 2025—ending his shot at the regular-season championship. “We were making our way back with better tires,” Elliott said. “Excited to see where it could’ve gone, but we didn’t get the chance.”

“It’s just unfortunate, we had a good start to the race,” said Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. “We kind of got on the wrong end there in the beginning and lost some track position. We got behind the No. 19 (Chase Briscoe) and got a penalty. I thought we were in a pretty good spot right there. We finally got on some better tires and we were making our way through there well, so I was excited to see where that was going to go, but unfortunately, we didn’t get the chance.”

That incident handed the regular-season crown to teammate William Byron, whose 12th-place finish in the No. 24 Chevrolet—despite minor splitter damage from the wreck—sealed the title. “Best 12th-place finish I’ve ever had,” Byron said, grinning. The 2025 Daytona 500 winner, who led the points for 20 of 25 weeks, called Richmond his toughest track but praised his team’s execution. “We had a solid plan and stuck to it.”

Team Penske’s Ford Mustangs shone, with Ryan Blaney earning his first Richmond top-five in third, followed by reigning champion Joey Logano in fourth after starting last, and Austin Cindric in fifth. “I struggle here,” Blaney admitted. “We worked hard to figure it out. We’re creeping up.”

Kyle Larson, Daniel Suarez, Josh Berry, Brad Keselowski, and hometown favorite Denny Hamlin rounded out the top 10. Meanwhile, playoff hopefuls faltered. Tyler Reddick, who led 41 laps and won Stage 1, finished 34th after tight racing damage. Bubba Wallace, leading a race-high 123 laps and winning Stage 2, fell to 28th after a pit road mishap. Both 23XI Racing drivers remain above the playoff cutline—Reddick by 60 points, Bowman by 29—but Daytona looms large.

As the NASCAR Cup Series heads to the unpredictable Daytona International Speedway for the Coke Zero Sugar 400 on August 23, 2025 (7:30 p.m. ET, NBC), Dillon’s Richmond triumph has reset the playoff picture. With Harrison Burton as the defending winner and five of the last seven Daytona victors claiming their first win of the season, the stage is set for a high-stakes finale.

Winner’s Quotes

Welcome to the Playoffs, Austin Dillon. The way it all played out last year, how important was it for you to come back in front of sellout crowd and do it the right way?

AUSTIN DILLON: Man, that feels good. Got to thank the good Lord above. I really wanted that one. Last year hurt really bad just going through the whole process of it. But this one feels so sweet. Man, I love Richmond.

Our Winchester Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet is really good. I was (indiscernible) out a lot this week. Didn’t feel great. I’m actually racing with a broken rib right now for the last two weeks.

Man, that was awesome.

All the emotion this team went through, the entire organization at RCR, does this year-long wait make it worth it?

AUSTIN DILLON: Oh, for sure. God has timing. His timing is the best timing. So excited to get my wife and kids here to celebrate with us.

Man, it’s so sweet. My dad prayed with me before the race. He was at our hunting land doing some food plots. It’s just so special. Every one of these means so much to me. My grandfather, for all that he’s put up in believing in me, because there’s been a lot of ups and downs, could have been easy for him to change the drivers in this 3 car. Today it feels really darn good.

What is it about this place that makes you come alive?

AUSTIN DILLON: Tire management. I’m probably the slowest to get going on some of these tracks when it really comes to high grip. But when it comes to these places and taking care of your stuff, I’ll go against the best of them.

How about doing this for RCR, did you feel you were carrying the weight of the entire company?

AUSTIN DILLON: We really love it. Welcome North Carolina. When you cross those railroad tracks, it’s all for one and one for all. Really pumped to be driving for my grandfather and my family.

Race Results

Average Speed of Race Winner:  94.126 mph.

Time of Race:  3 Hrs, 11 Mins, 14 Secs. Margin of Victory:  2.471 Seconds.

Caution Flags:  5 for 44 laps.

Lead Changes:  24 among 11 drivers.

Lap Leaders:   R. Preece 1-58;*. Reddick 59-74;*. Wallace 75-130;R. Preece 131-132;A. Dillon 133-138;*. Reddick 139-163;*. Wallace 164-179;K. Larson 180-183;*. Wallace 184-233;D. Suarez 234;M. McDowell 235-240;*. Wallace 241;A. Dillon 242-291;A. Cindric 292;K. Larson 293;C. Hocevar 294-303;R. Blaney 304-331;A. Dillon 332;R. Blaney 333-339;A. Dillon 340;R. Blaney 341-344;A. Cindric 345;K. Larson 346-349;B. Keselowski 350-351;A. Dillon 352-400.

Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led):  * Bubba Wallace 4 times for 123 laps; Austin Dillon 5 times for 107 laps; Ryan Preece 2 times for 60 laps; * Tyler Reddick 2 times for 41 laps; Ryan Blaney 3 times for 39 laps; Carson Hocevar 1 time for 10 laps; Kyle Larson 3 times for 9 laps; Michael McDowell 1 time for 6 laps; Austin Cindric 2 times for 2 laps; Brad Keselowski 1 time for 2 laps; Daniel Suarez 1 time for 1 lap.

Stage #1 Top Ten: 45,23,11,3,2,20,12,6,21,99

Stage #2 Top Ten: 23,99,12,3,48,60,77,2,24,5