Austin Dillon Looking To Improve In Cup Series at NHMS
Story By: AMY HARROP / RPW – LOUDON, NH – Statistically, New Hampshire Motor Speedway has never been one of Austin Dillon’s stronger tracks. His best finish at the track was 8th place, which came in 2015. Even with his ups and downs at the track, Austin Dillon is coming into this weekend with an optimistic attitude, keeping his eyes on the finish line.
On his struggles at New Hampshire, Austin says that this has always been a tough track to get a grasp on due to the lack of a banking, something that all NASCAR drivers are used to at most tracks. “We’re working on it really hard, trying to get better each and every time we get in the race car here. It’s a different track because it’s so flat and they changed the new VHT lines and stuff, so we’re always trying to grow.”, he says. VHT is a sticky chemical compound used on race surfaces to create more grip. Other tracks such as Bristol use VHT, but the changing of the VHT lines has been a hot topic among all drivers this weekend, not just Dillon.
Austin stresses that fine-tuning the setup is important at tracks at New Hampshire, especially seeing how hard it is to pass on the track. “This is an important track for us, so we have to try as hard as we can so we have something solid to come back with.”, he says. New Hampshire is one of the very first races of the chase, so he finds that it’s important to use this track and this race as a test for the upcoming playoff race in New Hampshire. When talking about the playoff races, Austin says he’s “not scared” of any of the first tracks on the Chase schedule. “I try to enjoy all of the tracks. If you don’t like one track, it can hold you back.” he says, speaking about how he comes into every track with a positive mindset.
Although he’s optimistic about his abilities, Austin says that playing with the weather can be tough at times, saying that gambling with the weather could go either way. “We have a lot of grip right now and our times are up, but come Sunday when the sun is up.” it will be different, he says, comparing the cool, damp weather now to the warm, sunny weather that’s on the radar for Sunday afternoon. Talking of the weather, he says, “You try to just game plan for it and try to set up your car for it”. A lot of the weekend preparation is simply a guessing game for what’s going to happen on Sunday. The future of the #3 car this Sunday is still uncertain, but Austin’s still over the moon about his first Cup win a few weeks ago in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Austin is still excited about bringing the famous #3 back to Victory Lane for the first time in 17 years. “It was super special; you’re forever a Cup Series winner. That’s what you work for your entire life.” he says, talking about how exhilarating it felt when he achieved his childhood dream. He wants to take the momentum from his Charlotte win and use it to propel himself into more success in 2017. “I just want to win more, run up front more consistently and get up towards the top 5 or 10 every week…that will give us chances to earn races”, he says. But, he’s not on this journey alone. He always has the support of his family, friends and his fiance, Whitney. “Family is huge and I’ve got a great support system. Whitney is just awesome, she comes to every race and I cannot thank her enough…she’s always there for me and supports me.”, he says. Austin’s family helps motivate him to do better on and off the track, and that’s the perfect formula to help him reach ultimate success in the Monster Energy Cup Series.
