From 25th to 6th: Austin Dillon Delivers His Best Road Course Finish Ever at Watkins Glen

When the NASCAR Cup Series rolled into Watkins Glen International on Sunday, May 10, for the Go Bowling at The Glen, one driver had something to prove on a type of track that has historically given him fits. That driver was Lewisville's own Austin Dillon — and he delivered in a big way.

By his own admission, road course racing has not been among Dillon's strengths. But after years of dedicated work to improve on the twisting circuits, he finally saw that effort pay off with a sixth-place finish — the best road course result of his career in 47 starts on that type of track. NASCAR

"I've worked a really long time on my road-course racing — it has not been great," Dillon told reporters after climbing out of the No. 3 Chevrolet. "But for me, that was a huge day to be able to run up with those guys." NASCAR

The run was especially meaningful given where it started. Dillon took the initial green flag from 25th position, deep in the field with a mountain to climb. Crew chief Richard Boswell made the bold call to pit early — earlier than any of his competitors at Lap 15 — to gain track position and reshape the race. The strategy worked. Dillon hung tough inside the top 10 for the entirety of Stage 2, collecting seven stage points with a fourth-place finish in that segment. NASCAR + 2

As the 100-lap race wound toward its conclusion, Dillon executed flawlessly on fuel management. Boswell and the team pushed the strategy early, going hard without worrying about tires on the short pit, which earned them track position heading into the final stage. When others made late green-flag pit stops for fresh rubber, Dillon stretched his tank and held his ground. Speedwaymedia

"Man, God is so good. We work really hard on these road races," Dillon said after the race. "Richard Boswell and everyone on the Bass Pro Shops/Winchester AA White Flyer team did a good job pushing the strategy early to go hard... After that, we were able to maintain, and it was fun saving fuel there behind Chase Briscoe." Speedwaymedia

There was even a little late-race drama between teammates. Kyle Busch, also on a fuel-saving strategy, scared Dillon at the bus stop with about two laps to go — then ran out of fuel at the line. "That was kind of fun getting him back by the line," Dillon laughed. Speedwaymedia

The result carried real weight beyond just one good Sunday. The sixth-place finish was Dillon's first top 10 since winning at Richmond Raceway last August — a stretch of 22 races. It was also a team win: with Busch crossing the line in eighth, it marked the first time Richard Childress Racing placed two cars inside the top 10 since last year's Chicago Street Race. NASCARNASCAR

"We're a team that's never going to give up, we're going to keep fighting," Dillon added. "We don't want to suck; we want to run good. It feels really good to do it at a road course today and that was helpful. We're working hard." NASCAR

Brother Ty Also on Track in New York

Austin wasn't the only Dillon family member in the field on Sunday. Younger brother Ty Dillon, driving for Kaulig Racing, also competed at the Glen but had a tougher afternoon. Ty finished 33rd after running 14th at the end of Stage 1 and trying a strategy in the final stage that ultimately didn't work out as the team had hoped. Meanwhile, Ty's Kaulig teammate AJ Allmendinger had a much stronger day, finishing a season-best seventh after running as high as second in the final stage. Speedway DigestSpeedway Digest

The contrast on Sunday between the two brothers is simply part of the week-to-week nature of NASCAR — some days the strategy clicks, some days it doesn't. Ty and the No. 77 Kaulig team will look to bounce back next week.

What's Next

The momentum Austin is building is real. The Cup Series now heads to Dover Motor Speedway for next Sunday's NASCAR All-Star Race on May 17. The All-Star Race is a non-points event, which makes it a perfect opportunity for the No. 3 team to keep the positive energy flowing without the pressure of the championship standings. NASCAR

For Lewisville, Sunday was a reminder of what one of our own is capable of when the work put in behind the scenes finally shows up on race day. Proud of you, Austin — go get 'em at Dover.

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