"I can at least say I finished the race" - RCR's Austin Dillon battles through issues to finish P34th at Martinsville Cup race

Richard Childress Racing driver Austin Dillon was left gutted after the NASCAR Cup race at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday.

Coming off a disastrous 2023 campaign, the worst of his career, RCR's No. 3 Chevrolet driver Austin Dillon's woes have continued in the ongoing season. Yet to register a top-15 finish, the 33-year-old driver entered the second quarter of the season at Martinsville with hopes of regaining his long-lost form.

The crew chief shuffle, and the return of Justin Alexander to the No. 3 team just days before the Cook Out 400 race, signalled a shift in Dillon's trajectory in the 2024 season. It wasn't to be just yet for the RCR stalwart, however, as Austin Dillon could only salvage a 34th-place finish at the short-track Martinsville Speedway.

Speaking to the media after the race, Dillon addressed his difficulties on the given afternoon. He said:

"Long day for the Bass Pro Shop Chevy. We had a problem with the left front tire locking up, and I think the power steering was going out pretty much the whole race. And when it went out, it was about 200 laps to go."

"I can at least say I finished the race with no power steering. Gonna be a little sore tomorrow, but we keep fighting. Obviously not what we want, but we'll go Texas and try to regain some momentum," he added.

---

Justin Alexander on goals for Austin Dillon in 2024

Justin Alexander's return to the No. 3 RCR team midway through the season signifies the depth of the challenges faced by Dillon in 2024.

However, Alexander's previous stints with the 33-year-old driver have brought out the best in Austin Dillon in the latter's Cup Series career. All four of his wins in NASCAR's top flight have come while partnering with Alexander, including the Daytona 500 win in 2018.

Speaking to Bob Pockrass before the Martinsville race, Alexander outlined his objectives for Dillon's campaign. He said:

" I think I've been with Austin long enough and over a lot of years now. And so I kind of know what he wants and what he needs and really I just want to bring, you know, we're trying to get the team back, running consistently again, and start knocking down some better finishes. Top five, top 10s, top 15s. And climb our way back out of the points hole that we're in.”

After eight rounds, Austin Dillon finds himself 31st in the NASCAR Cup Series standings. He has 93 points to his name and zero top-15 finishes.