Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Dillon made a bold move by recruiting NASCAR star Kyle Busch to the team. However, this begs the question of whether Dillon, who is seen as the future face of RCR, wants his teammate to outshine him or not. In a recent episode of Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s podcast, “The Dale Jr. Download,” co-host Mike Davis asked whether drivers genuinely want their teammates to succeed, given the competitive nature of the sport.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s perspective on strategic team building

It’s an interesting situation to consider, particularly when it comes to the idea of teammates rooting for each other. As co-host Mike Davis pointed out in the same episode, some people may wonder whether drivers really want their teammates to be someone to succeed as Earnhardt Jr., who ironically has been in similar situations when he was Jimmie Johnson‘s teammate.

But Earnhardt Jr. had something else to say “I think that Austin knows that if he’s ever going to be in a position to run that company someday, he’s got to make sure that company survives…” said Earnhardt. “He can’t bring in D and F drivers to run behind him intentionally and expect that company to be there for him 15-20 years from now. If he’s smart, he brought in Kyle Busch so that Kyle can win races, elevate this brand, and keep pushing this company forward so it can survive another 20 years.”

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However, there is a question of how Dillon will feel when Busch consistently outperforms him. Earnhardt Jr. believes that Dillon will be okay with it. He said, “I think that Austin is fine with Kyle going out there and out running him.” Dillon knows that he needs to be a good team player and work with Busch to improve the team. In the long run, Dillon’s sacrifice may lead to his ultimate success. Pointing out the same, Earnhardt said. “And that when it’s his turn to take over the helm, which could be sooner than later, that it’s a healthy team people want to come work for and drivers want to come drive for.”

Kyle Busch’s expertise could propel Austin Dillon’s career

There is a precedent for this situation. Bubba Wallace saw great growth in 2022 while being a teammate of Kurt Busch. Wallace was able to learn from Busch and improve his own driving skills. Dillon may see a similar career renaissance with Kyle Busch as a teammate. Fans and writers at Frontstretch believe that Dillon will benefit from Busch’s feedback on the cars and his expertise as one of the greatest drivers of his generation.

One even goes as far as to say that RCR is the championship favorite and that Busch and Dillon could be riding off into that championship sunset post-Phoenix Raceway.

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For now, it seems as though RCR is in good hands with Dillon and Busch leading the way. And while some may question the idea of a current driver actively bringing in a potential replacement, it’s clear that Dillon has the future of the team in mind. As Earnhardt Jr. put it, “I think that Austin knows that if he’s ever going to be in position to run that company someday, he’s got to make sure that company survives.”