Lack Of Speed Should Override Austin Dillon's Historical Consistency At Darlington
7 months agoAlthough he's never led a lap at Darlington, it is one of Austin Dillon's most consistent tracks, as he has an average finish of 14.3 there, better than any other track the NASCAR Cup Series visits twice. His second-place finish in the 2020 Southern 500 was one of his best-ever drives. However, Dillon has struggled mightily with the Next Gen chassis. Since his best crew chief, Justin Alexander, left in 2023, he has run worse than ever before in his career. Dillon currently has the second-worst speed percentile in the Cup Series at 23.98. Although Alexander returned this season as a mid-season replacement for Keith Rodden, and Dillon promptly got a top-10 finish at Texas almost immediately, he has generally been running no better and qualified only 23rd for this weekend's Goodyear 400. Alexander has elevated Dillon before, so it's conceivable he may do so again, but recent performances suggest that is unlikely.
Source: Racing Reference
Source: Racing Reference