A little over a week is left until the kick off of Daytona Speedweek. The Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium put on an entertaining show. Now, race fans have to experience the longest week of the 2025 season to get to Daytona. It does not help that the Super Bowl is a match-up nobody outside of Kansas City and Philadelphia wanted. However, 8 Days to Daytona and NASCAR fans can be reunited with the Richard Childress Racing #3 team.
The #3 Team
Driver: Austin Dillon
Crew Chief: Richard Boswell
Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops/Winchester, Titan Risk Solutions, BetMGM, Breztri
2024 Statistics: 1 Win, 1 Top-5, 5 Top-10s, 36 Laps Led, 22.6 Average Finish
2025 Season Preview
Tolerating Mediocrity
Outside of summer Richmond, Austin Dillon’s 2024 saw nothing but poor results. Coming off a 2023 where he led Cup in DNFs, Dillon followed it up with a 32nd points finish and his worst average finish of his career. When it comes to questions of Austin Dillon’s job security, the assumption is that his seat is safe due to his grandfather running the team. However, back-to-back poor seasons has to light some fire under Dillon. Will Richard Childress put up with another bad season simply because his grandson is the driver? Maybe that is the case. However, RCR has two promising drivers in Xfinity who will need Cup rides soon.
New Chief, Better Results?
Heading into 2025, Austin Dillon will have his third different crew chief since the beginning of the 2024 season. After a horrible start, Keith Rodden was replaced by Justin Alexander. Alexander did help guide Dillon to all of his Top-10s and lone race win. However, RCR managed to nab Richard Boswell from the closing Stewart-Haas Racing. Coming off a season where he helped Chase Briscoe upset the field at Darlington, Boswell will look to right the ship for the 3 team. Honestly, the bar is set pretty low. Boswell should be able to point this team in a better direction.
Wrecking Ball
If you are a Cup Series driver and the event is held on a short track, hope that Austin Dillon does not line up behind you. Richmond demonstrated what lengths Dillon is willing to go in order to win a race. In a pinch, the car can be used as a battering ram, shoving cars out of the way. While NASCAR slapped Dillon with a season-altering penalty, The Clash demonstrates how that attitude has not died. Dillon constantly roughed up his competitors at Bowman Gray. This could lead to consequences down the line, whether from the NASCAR officiating crew or his fellow drivers.
Daytona 500 Outlook
Richard Childress Racing has been strong at Daytona over the past couple of years. Since Kyle Busch joined the ranks, the RCR duo have been a formidable tandem. Usually, this tandem is led by Busch while Dillon serves as the pusher. In 2023, Busch did cross the finish line in first on lap 200 of the Daytona 500. Unfortunately for Busch and Dillon, this race went into overtime and both wrecked out.
Outside of his win in the rain controversy 2023 Daytona race, it has been a rough few years for Dillon. While the speed has certainly been win worthy, Dillon has been unable to keep his car clean until the end. Other than the 2023 win, the 3 team has not finished on the lead lap at Daytona since 2021. Cautions have been this team’s greatest rival at Daytona. Avoiding those will be the key to starting the season off right with a solid finish in the Daytona 500.
Days to Daytona Countdown
40 Days: Team Penske #22; 39 Days: Team Penske #12; 38 Days: Hendrick #24;
37 Days: 23XI Racing #45; 36 Days: Joe Gibbs Racing #20;
35 Days: Hendrick Motorsports #5; 34 Days: Hendrick Motorsports #9;
33 Days: Joe Gibbs Racing #11, 32 Days: Henrick Motorsports #48;
31 Days: Joe Gibbs Racing #19; 30 Days: Team Penske #2;
29 Days: Trackhouse Racing #99; 28 Days: RFK Racing #6;
27 Days: Trackhouse Racing #88; 26 Days: Joe Gibbs Racing #54;
25 Days: Wood Brothers Racing #21; 24 Days: RFK Racing #17;
23 Days: 23XI Racing #23; 22 Days: Trackhouse Racing #1;
21 Days: Richard Childress Racing #8; 20 Days: Spire Motorsports #77;
19 Days: Front Row Motorsports #38; 18 Days: Front Row Motorsports #34
17 Days: Front Row Motorsports #4; 16 Days: Hyak Motorsports #47;
15 Days: Haas Factory Team #35; 14 Days: 23XI Racing #35; 13 Days: Kaulig Racing #16
12 Days: Legacy Motor Club #43; 11 Days: Kaulig Racing #10;
10 Days: Spire Motorsports #71; 9 Days: Spire Motorsports #7
