"We’re going to do everything we can to win" - Austin Dillon aims to 'lock' himself in for 2022 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs at Pocono Raceway

Richard Childress Racing driver Austin Dillon has had a below-average NASCAR season so far. With three top-five and six top-10 finishes, the 32-year-old stands 20th in the Cup Series standings but is yet to capture a victory to seal his spot in the playoffs.

As the NASCAR Cup Series heads to Pocono Raceway, where he has 16 Cup Series starts, Dillon hopes to win his first race of the season and lock himself into the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.

In a recent interview, speaking about the Pocono Raceway, Dillon acknowledged that the Pocono is fun and fast, and that he is excited to run in his #3 Next Gen Chevrolet. He went on to say that he is going to do everything to earn a victory and grab his spot on the 16-driver playoff field.

Dillon said:

“Pocono is a fun, fast track, and I’m excited to get there in a Next Gen Chevrolet. We’re going to do everything we can to win and lock ourselves into the NASCAR Playoffs.”

Further, speaking about the interestingly shaped track that features three turns of varying degrees, Dillon said:

“At Pocono Raceway, speed is definitely carried through Turn 2 and through Turn 3 to the start-finish line. I think those are the most important corners. Of course, every corner is important, but Turns 2 and 3 are a little bit more important because it’s the flat end of the track.”

NASCAR has seen 14 different winners this season in 20 races so far. With six races left and two spots remaining in the regular season, Dillon knows it’s not going to be an easy task but he will have to win the Pocono race at any cost to seal his playoff position.

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Austin Dillon's finishes in previous 2022 NASCAR Cup Series races

Austin Dillon joined Richard Childress Racing as a full-time driver after winning the Xfinity Series championship in 2013. In his ninth season with the organization, the Welcome, North Carolina driver has struggled to find his form so far.

In the second Cup race of the season at Auto Club Speedway, the 32-year-old showed his temperament and finished runner-up. He later gave his best performance of the season at Talladega Superspeedway, where he posted a season’s second P2 finish.

With a P23 finish in the previous week’s Cup race, he gained 14 points and now stands 20th in the Cup Series standings with 421 points.

With six races left in the regular season, Austin Dillon still has a chance to qualify if he manages to take the win at Pocono Raceway, which starts on Sunday, July 24 at 3 pm ET.