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

Episode Date: August 12, 2024

Join Kevin Harvick in this special episode of Victory Lap as he chats with Austin Dillon after his epic overtime win at the Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to Kevin Harvick's Happy Hour, presented by NASCAR on Fox. And today's Victory Lab, wow. We have some controversy around a win. But Austin Dillon is going to come on the show today and give us his view of everything that happened at the end of the Richmond race. All right, Austin. Well, thanks for taking the time today to, you know, come on a Happy Hour podcast and talk to us. What a wild night.

Just explain, first off, you had a great car. You guys had a great car all night. Obviously, the two-week break did you guys a lot of good because you guys came with guns of blazing. I know it got wild at the end, but let's just talk about that two-week break first and what that meant to your team to come to the racetrack this weekend and have that performance in your car. Yeah, no, it was awesome to be able to unload off the truck. I don't know how many times I've been fastest in practice in my cup career, but to go out there, set quick time in practice.

I think going back to North Wilkesboro, we really had a good car there. And we used those tires the right way through practice and was able to set a fast time in qualifying in the open. And we used that throughout the weekend for our adjustments. And, you know, it kind of worked out. I think we found some speed at some of these short tracks along the way. And we had a really good sim session on Tuesday.

but the two weeks off, I think everybody just kind of relaxed a little bit. And I guess they did a good job, just getting the car ready, dialing it in. And I'd ask Justin on Monday coming back from the beach, I said, hey, man, how are we going to win Richmond? He said, just go do what we normally do. And I'm like, well, that won't work. But it really, really wasn't a huge change. And our SIM session was good, and we just unloaded well. when you get in the middle of those races and you realize you have a car like that and from a driver's

standpoint i know richmond you can kind of get lost in the in the surroundings of everything that's going on on top of the pit box because you've got not only do you have these these pit strategies that go with the regular tire now you've got a softer tire to add into that mix as to as to when to put it on and and so from your standpoint where did you think you were i mean you you kept driving you and the and obviously met at the end of those runs a couple times. But did you know that you had a winning car? And I think when it came down to it that you had that extra set of tires laying in the pits, did you feel good about where your Reds were and if that caution did come out?

Yeah, you know, I thought, first of all, I think that on the Yellows, I thought we were the best car there second half of the race. I didn't feel like there was a better car on the Yellows than us, especially in the long run. the reds i felt like we were more of a fifth place car just determining off the one run where most people put their reds on in stage three i couldn't i couldn't advance like i could on yellows um and the first adjustment of the race i kind of went the wrong way i asked them to free the car up and um it wasn't a big adjustment but it wasn't the right way um we we tightened the car up from that point on and it was just one round and i used my brake bys for an adjustment

for the rest of the race and the car really kind of came to life later as it cooled off. I don't know what the temperature change was, but the car just kept getting better and better. And at the end, they asked me with like 70 to go or 60 to go and we're racing Hamlin before the last stop. What's the car need? I was like, don't talk to me. Like we're racing. I don't want to hear nothing.

I told some guys last night, for me, we haven't had that. opportunity in a long time. And literally racing Denny at one point, I kind of got emotional in the race car running it, running and down and running with him because I was like, you know, you go through so much ups and downs in your career. And at that point, I was racing with the two best, one of the two best guys in our sport and really getting after it with them. And I had to tell myself for like five laps, like, hey, man, get your stuff together. You know, you got this opportunity. And the last pit stop, the second last pit stop, coming down pit road,

like I almost missed putting it in first year and putting the clutch in, getting in the box. Things were happening. And after we got through that pit stop, from that point on, I had my stuff together. I felt like, but I definitely was, you know, going through some things because I haven't had that many cars or the opportunities to be racing up front like that. and there's so much going on with RCR and, you know, the guys that put in so much effort and you don't want to give it away. You know, you just want to, I knew at that point we had a race-winning car before the last pit stop and the second of last pit stop.

And, you know, you get a little emotional about it because, man, you want it for these people so bad. Yeah. Well, I think, you know, obviously when you had the yellow at the end and you have that last restart, like, I'll beat you on the restart. You lose the lead. You come into the white flag and tell us what's going through your mind right there. Obviously, you had to contact with Lugano and Hamlin, all the controversy with everything. Tell us what's going through your mind right there.

The position that this point system puts you in as a driver to have to do what you have to do and worry about the controversy and consequences later. Tell us about, you know, how that all unfolded in your mind and everything that you were thinking coming to the check of flag. Yeah, so, you know, obviously, unfortunately, the caution comes out with two to go. And I just had to put my mind in and say, hey, look, we can do this. Bitcru, I've got to give them a huge shout out. You know, we haven't put them in positions to have that opportunity very often,

and they clutched it when it mattered. So we're up front. We chose the bottom, and maybe that wasn't the right call. But I was going off of previous race wins off of that. And I felt like if Joey takes in, side, eight tires are going to be better than four. And, you know, that was my other thing. I could protect a little better from the inside.

When we fired, he rolled and had a big, he had a big roll on me. I wanted to go early in the box, and I waited a little too long. And he rolled me and beat me to the start finish line. So that put me in a bad situation. So, you know, once I knew he had gotten the lead off of two, I just needed to make a corner that would give me an opportunity to get to him. off of turn two I felt like he had a slip off of a four

that kept me within a decent distance I had a decent turn two on the white flag lap and then it was like you know whatever it takes to get him up the track loose whatever it was and I went into turn three I was up a gear and when I rolled to him I think I caught him right in the edge of the right rear

he went up the track a downshift to the fourth at that point I'm looking at the start finish line with less momentum Denny's coming up the track. I didn't see, when I'm looking at the start finish line, I'm going at the closest angle. When he comes up, that was just a reaction getting to the line. But the Joey deal, I mean, definitely trying to get him loose and then past that, just holding on to the car downshift and trying to get the line as fast you can.

You know, as far as the spotter going on, you know, I think he was a fanboy last night in that race. it would be like having a number three fan commentating trying to drive the car up there. But, you know, I told them in the media center, when the white flag hits, I mean, you got to see red in those situations. And for me, I'm not looking anything, just trying to get to the checker flag as fast as possible and try and get the win. So as far as that goes, I mean, I was just driving the last corner. Yeah, and those moments are intense. And, you know, when you've been looking for Victory Lane for a couple years and you have those moments, you've got to do what you've got to do. What happens now?

I mean, when you, when you, you've obviously in the Lugano and the Hamlin are mad and you guys did what you needed to do to win the race. And we've all been in those positions before. But just explain to the fans what you expect going forward from those two guys as you race. Is there, do you worry about the retaliation or what do you worry about from that standpoint? because I know we, like I say, we've all been in these scenarios and you've got to do what you've got to do in a moment. But what are those consequences that happen going forward? And how do you deal with those mentally? Because I know everybody has to deal with them differently.

Yeah. Well, I mean, obviously, it's a fair game for them when it's the last lap and going to the last corner of a race the way I look at it. I race them really clean throughout the race. It was the last corner of the last lap of a race that got me. end of the playoffs. So, you know, I thought Denny's interview was pretty solid. Joey, I don't know. I mean, I thought he threw some low blows in there, you know, obviously frustrating

in the moment. But, you know, the two guys that I got into it with have done a lot that I've learned from on the last lap of races themselves that, you know, I've heard Joey's interviews. How bad do you want it? you got to do whatever it takes different things and seen him do it at martinsville in different places on the last corner so this time he was a victim of it and um you know sometimes you know it happens and you got to handle things you know how would i handle my interview after the race in that situation i don't know um it's it's you know it's frustrating um for anybody that's

involved in that, but he's got a lot more wins than I do and the championship. And yeah, if he retaliates, he retaliates. I think my grandfather's hilarious. You know, he said something, you know, if you, you know, you might kick a dog, but he'll bite back at some point. So, you know, his quotes are always the greatest. What did he, what when you got, what does this mean to RCR? Last question. What does this mean to RCR? You guys have had a, you know, a tough year. It's been, you know, it's been a struggle. And I think you guys would be willing to say that. And I know personally how much that man wants to win and the pressure that he puts on you guys to go out and capitalize on those days when you're in those positions.

What does this mean to RCR and Richard and yourself as you guys go forward checking that box? Well, I was talking to my dad this morning and Danny Lawrence was in his office, Danny Stockman, my old car chief. and, you know, they called me up and they were like, look, there's 400 people that cross the railroad tracks to come to this place, and you did what you had to do to get those guys a wind. And we all appreciate it. And that fires me up more than anything is the people there, because I see them each and every week. And, you know, it's been tough, you know, and they've stuck with me, stuck behind us and gave us a piece like that. and that was an awesome car. Those are the people you do it for when it comes down to it.

You don't want to do that every week. But when given the opportunity, you've got to do it for those people that give you those chances to get there and get to Victory Lane. Well, it's a tight-knit bunch of people. It's been that way for as long as I've ever been in racing and you guys did what you had to do to win last night. I appreciate you taking the time today. Hopefully you get that voice back soon. Yeah, you know, trying to keep up with my pit crew and guys, you know, I've learned that after two kids, yeah, I'm just, I'm an old dad now. And when you try and keep up with those guys, it doesn't go well. No, those kids are going to come tugging on your leg regardless of what that alarm clock says.

Man, oh man, like, that was another part of that whole win last night was getting blazed to Victory Lane. I've seen you take Keeling and your kids to Victory Lane. And for me, Ace, two weeks ago, he comes up to me he goes dad we never win and i looked at him i said don't ever say that again it wasn't wrong and uh last night in victory lane he comes up to me and i said hey you remember what you told me a couple weeks ago he said yeah we never win and i go what happened he said we won and it was the coolest thing to be able to experience that get blazed to victory lane um yeah the only thing that did piss me off about joey was when he came through there my wife kid were headed across to get to cross and he revved the engine up right in front of my kid

and Johnny Morris and those people so I mean I you know I get it you got to be mad and upset but do it like an interview or talk to me about it you know you got to be careful on pit road with that type of stuff yeah well you um you guys have have done what you needed to do for the for the weekend and and like I say I appreciate you taking the time today have a good day and hopefully we see you soon thanks Kevin