Austin Dillon sets expectations for the next crew chief

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Austin Dillon has set his expectations for his next crew chief.

Ahead of the Southern 500 weekend at Darlington Raceway, news broke that Austin Dillon will have a new crew chief in 2023. Now he has set his expectations for the person who will replace Justin Alexander.

“Just someone who brings something to the table when it comes to RCR,” Dillon said Sept. 3. “We have a lot of positive momentum. Someone who gets along well with Randall [Burnett], the other crew chief we have at RCR; I’m kinda working with him right now.

“He and Justin work so well together and I want to continue that if at all possible with everyone who comes along and myself as crew chief for the next year. Someone who has a good, positive attitude and is willing to go to work. Make me better, push me to be a better driver. All options are now on the table.”

Dillon made the comments during a meeting with members of the media at Darlington Raceway. He explained that his longtime crew chief is retiring from the pit lane so he can spend more time with his family. Dillon thinks Richard Childress Racing can hold Alexander to some extent. It just won’t be as a crew chief.

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Alexander is leaving big footsteps at RCR

GettyAustin Dillon won 4 races with Alexander as his crew chief.

Dillon has worked with several Crew Chiefs during his Cup Series career. However, the overwhelming majority of his success has been with Alexander at the front of the box. This run includes 36 top 10 finishes and 13 top 5 finishes over three full seasons, a partial season (2017) and the 2022 regular season.

In addition to the strong placings, Dillon has also celebrated all of his wins with Alexander. All four of his trips to Victory Lane have been with a Crew Chief, including the regular season finale in 2022, which punched his ticket to the playoffs.

The next Crew Chief to walk in and join Team #3 has to fill in Alexander’s footsteps. They must help Dillon add more wins to his total and consistently compete for spots in the 16-rider playoff field.

Alexander & Dillon will strive for more wins together

GettyAustin Dillon celebrates a win at Texas Motor Speedway.

Having laid out his expectations for his next crew chief, Dillon will remain focused on another pressing issue. He’s in the Cup Series playoffs and has an opportunity to earn more wins and places in the coming rounds.

One of these races takes place at a track where Alexander and Dillon previously celebrated. They will be going to Texas Motor Speedway on September 25th. This race will set up the round of 16 and provide Dillon with a significant opportunity to return to victory lane, assuming he is still in the playoffs at that point.

In 2020, Alexander and Dillon got back together after a year together. They made the playoffs after the first race at Texas Motor Speedway, where Dillon held off Tyler Reddick, Kyle Busch and Joey Logano on multiple restarts. This win was the third of Dillon’s career and helped him reach the playoffs for the fourth time in his career.

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