Kevin Harvick's Happy Hour presented by NASCAR on FOX - Austin Dillon Interview following win at Richmond | VICTORY LAP

Episode Date: August 18, 2025

Fresh off his Cup Series win at Richmond, Austin Dillon joins Kevin Harvick for this week’s Victory Lap. The two break down how Dillon secured his postseason spot late in the regular season, what it meant to win at Richmond after last year’s controversy, and why RCR continues to thrive at the track. They also look back on Dillon’s season so far and discuss what this win means for momentum heading into the playoffs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I never remember going to Richmond in anything that I didn't think I could win him. The racing leading up to the end of the race with Ryan Blaney was probably some of my favorite racing I've ever done. Then we got the lead, we hit Pitt Road, and the rest is kind of history. Well, Austin, first off, congratulations. That's two years in a row you've whipped their butt at Richmond, but this one has to feel good. No drama at the end, just a good old-fashioned win. On to the playoffs. So explain to me just how it feels to be in this. position right now this late in the regular season. Well, it feels pretty amazing.

Austin Craven, who you know, he's always said, man, it'd be nice to just have a boring win sometimes with you. And I'm like, yeah, that would be. And that was kind of what we had, you know, Saturday night. I mean, but I will say the racing leading up to the end of the race with Ryan Blaney was probably some of my favorite racing I've ever done. Those 12 laps or whatever it was, we were side by side. just neither one of us had any traction.

And it was like we're on ice skates out there. Trying to, you know, complete the pass was so hard. And then when we got the lead, we hit pit road. And the rest is kind of history. But, yeah, no, it feels great to be locked in the playoffs. And the first round kind of sets up nice with us because of the tracks that we're going to. Some tire degradation at Darlington. And then Gateway was good for us last year.

Bristol's always a good one. So you've had a few really good weeks as far as the performance goes. And, you know, I look at Richard Boswell and everything that you guys have been working on. It seems like things are starting to come together. Am I reading that wrong or is it just starting to get the performance right with your group and your car, getting everything organized here, you know, right towards the end of the regular season? Yeah, I think you're exactly right. I have so much respect for Richard.

Earlier this year, we had to have like a sit-down meeting just like a, hey, we need to understand each other better, the competitive drive that each of us have because we had moments at the beginning of the year where we weren't on the same page. And ever since that like man-to-man meeting, we've really done some good stuff. And you go back to Iowa, I think that was kind of the start for us of, you know, a competitive weekend running up front with those guys, restarting up front. doing things that set us up for Richmond. Because you can't just pop in there and run.

It's a whole other league when you're running in that top 10 area and understanding what they do on restarts and how aggressive it is. And so Iowa was a good test for us. And then we had to execute at Watkins Glen to set up for Richmond because of how much of an advantage it is, you know, not going out early and qualifying. So getting a 15th place finish at Watkins Glen was like a win for us to set up a decent qualifying effort going into the race.

So when you look at Richmond, I never remember going to Richmond when I worked and drove at RCR. I never remember going to Richmond in anything that I didn't think I could win in. And can you explain just what the company mentality is, why that is? Because I couldn't think of anything to say, hey, I don't know. But for you, what makes it that way? Because I don't ever remember going to Richmond thinking that we couldn't win when I was in an RCR car. Yeah, you know, it's crazy.

I think, you know, coming up around you and Boyer, you guys always dominated there. And you both had a little different approach at that track, I feel like, and I was able to kind of learn. I mean, it was my worst track, to be honest, when I was Xfinity racing. Like, I could never show up with what you run and run well. I felt like there because I always felt like you were loose or balanced. wise than me. And I ended up hitting on something in one of the Xfinity races. And it was kind of like a mix of your line.

And then the exit of four that what Boyer always talked about and a feel between those. And even Newman, when he was here, he had runs that were good at Richmond. He had a little different approach to the corner too. But yeah, I hit on something at a test and a line. and I've just never went away from it. It's kind of like you were in Atlanta when you'd hook the white line. I feel like that's me at Richmond. And even if like we're in the simulator, I can tell the guys like, hey, this doesn't feel right.

I need this feel. And if I get this feel, it's not necessarily that the car needs to be faster. It just allows me to put the car where it needs to be placed. So like I'm talking about things differently in the simulator at Richmond than I would be at another track. I just have a feel for it that, you know, allows me to give good advice to the crew. So you talked about after the race that you had some rib trouble. Where did that happen? Was that from a wreck? Did you fall down the stairs? What's that all about? I fell off a ladder getting my bowcase out of my hunting room. And it was just moving too fast. And I pulled the bowcase off like this and came down the steps,

missile up a third, fourth one down, and landed right on top of the bow case. At first, I was like, oh, I'm in trouble. Like, I'm not racing this weekend. And it was going into Iowa, and I just kind of toughed it out. And it's, it's gotten a little better, but it's just annoying. And I've got this cough now, so that's made it even worse. Well, you talk about tough, and I know that driving for Richard Childress is tough. He's fair. He's one of the best people that I've ever been around to teach you about racing and understand the sport. What's it been like this year with Richard? I know he wants results. He expects to win. What's it been like with trying to keep him calm, I guess, is the best way to put it and trying to work through what you need to

to get to this point? Yeah, I think, you know, as I've gotten older and things have developed, like, you know, it goes all the way back to the Carolina Cowboys and being able to GM that. I've been able to work with RC on the RCR side of things, the business side, the financial side, learning about the company and the way he does things. And then Ty's come in there too and been to help. And both of us are starting to help RC more. So understanding where he comes from is, you know, he likes things a certain way. He's very particular about how he does things.

And Ty and I are pushing him to do things. a little different, thinking toward the future. So there's heated conversations between him and I and Ty. And this year's been good in the aspect that all three of us are closer than we've ever been. And he's really looking into the things that we say. And I think we did a great job getting Mike Burlander a couple years ago. He's really come on and helped build the culture that we're trying to build over here. had some great hires with Boswell, Johnny Klausmeyer,

guys that you've worked with over Stuart Haas. And those things are finally starting to show up, I feel like. And yeah, it's been fun. But yeah, when R.C, I think go back to Dover, which you talk about Richmond being like a historical good place for RCR. Dover's probably been since I've been here the worst. Like we struggle at Dover. And I've never felt good there in a race car, I feel like.

So after Dover, he kind of let it out there in the media that, hey, we got to have better race cars. And at the time, you know, Ties like, man, you probably shouldn't say that. But it felt really good for me because he was back in the drivers, you know, and you want that from your owner because we take a lot of heat over time. And he doesn't usually say that. And you know him from when you were here. He doesn't talk bad about his stuff. His engine shop, his cars, like, that's nothing. And he just challenged everybody in the right way, I felt like,

because when he speaks like that, if you're around him enough, he doesn't usually come out and say that. So I think it gave us a refocus and kind of got us all together saying, hey, we need to look at things differently. And, yeah, I think since then we've done a good job executing, because I think this cup car is more about execution than anything because of how tight the field is. So things have changed, I feel like, since him coming out and saying that at Dover, even.

What's been the hardest thing for you with just cycling into these last few years of the next-gen car? That's a tough one. I think the next-gen car is, I enjoy the next-gen car, especially at certain tracks. Short tracks, obviously, I've had fun with it there. A mile and a half racing from a restart standpoint is wild and more exciting, I think, than the old car. I think just the consistency probably from the next gen side because I've had a couple of crew chiefs come through and this is the first time I feel like, you know,

Boswell and I are really building on something. So I think all the old car, you had certain knobs and dials that you went to to to fix your problems, whether it be track bar, wedge, or whatever you wanted from the race car. That box is way smaller and relearning what those things are that make me like,

trigger something in my mind from a setup standpoint, I think that was probably the toughest with the independent rear suspension because I used to could tell like Stockman back in the Xfinity car because of hey, I need this shock or I need, you know, this. Didn't really have that in the next-gen car and that bubble of things that we talked about really got small. Well, I think as you talked earlier,

you talk about that first round of the playoffs. Is there one track in that first round that you circle that you say, okay, this is this is the place that has been, it was good for us at the beginning of the year out of the three tracks. What's that one track that you've got circled? Well, I know from like Boswell's perspective, he was really good at Darlington last year. They won the race with Chase Briscoe. Bristol, they were solid as well.

We were good at Bristol earlier this year. And at Darlington in the first race, I thought we practiced really well. And I had a different feel in the car that I was used to. And I probably led us the wrong direction going in that race. So looking back, I feel like we have something. to work on. I just need to keep my mouth shut going to Darlington and just let the race kind of come to us. But I mean, from a out of those three, Darlington, I've been close. I actually, when we raced your win at Darlington, I was really close. I feel like in that one. So like that

one's probably circled for me. I like the long run aspect of that track and taking care of your tires and that type of stuff. And yeah, Bristol or Gateway, from a win perspective, Darlington is the one I've circled Gateway. We were good last year. We ran sixth there, so we have a baseline. And Bristol, I think we can go have a top ten race for sure. Well, I'm happy for you guys. You know, I've got a soft spot for everybody at RCR.

And, you know, Richard Childress is one of the best car owners that you can drive for. I know you guys have a great relationship and trying to work forward, it sounds like. And I wish you guys nothing but the best. And congratulations on kicking their butt. Saturday night at Richmond. Thanks, Harvick.