Lightning-quick. That’s the only way to describe Austin Dillon at Richmond Raceway. The Richard Childress Racing driver finished first in practice, recording the fastest lap time in his No. 3 Chevrolet Camaro. He also finished sixth in qualifying, five spots higher than teammate Kyle Busch, and went on to secure his maiden Cup Series victory of the season, while Rowdy finished a lowly 12th. With both drivers running identical cars and the same setup, how was Austin Dillon so much faster than his teammate at the Cook Out 400?

The discrepancy in performance between the two drivers prompted a debate among NASCAR insiders and former Hendrick Motorsports crew chief Steve Letarte. Reflecting on Richard Childress Racing’s sudden surge in performance, the discussion centered around how it could affect Kyle Busch’s fortunes before the playoffs begin.

Was Richmond a sign of Richard Childress Racing’s resurgence?

It’s never a good feeling for a racer when he is lapped by another driver, but it’s infinitely worse when the ‘other driver’ happens to be your teammate. That’s exactly what happened to Kyle Busch when he was lapped by his Richard Childress Racing teammate Austin Dillon at Richmond Raceway. Adding insult to Rowdy’s injuries, Dillon went on to secure a victory—one that Kyle Busch has been desperately craving all season. While the circumstances surrounding the win were controversial, it begged the question: how was Dillon so much faster than his teammate?

Discussing how the No. 3 Chevy’s speed could affect Kyle Busch, Steve Letarte, host of the Dirty Mo Dough podcast asked NASCAR insiders for their opinions. Tampa Timms responded by saying, “I think it’s better. I think he (Kyle Busch) knows that it’s in the building. They can move engineers all they want. They can do all they want, it’s in the building. I think that’s a plus.”

The show’s producer Travis Rockhold echoed the sentiments by saying, “If this was 15 years ago, I’d say it’s worse because of him being older and everything. I think it’s better. He’s seeing, ‘Okay it’s there, we’re gonna get better’.” However, The Professor disagreed with both of them, going on to say, “No, I think it’s worse. If he has got it, why doesn’t Kyle have it too? Why is it different?”

Despite being bound by a contract with Richard Childress Racing until 2025, Kyle Busch has been linked with a move away from the team. Reports have suggested that Spire Motorsports has been sniffing around after parting ways with Corey LaJoie recently, with team owner Jeff Dickerson being open to breaking the bank to land Rowdy. The source of all the speculation surrounding Busch’s future comes from the fact that his season has been nothing short of disastrous. With five DNFs already and 43 races without a win, Busch had been struggling to see the light at the end of the tunnel. That was until Austin Dillon won at Richmond Raceway.

His playoff spot may have been taken away, along with 25 hard-earned points, but Dillon’s victory at the 2024 Cook Out 400 will be a huge source of relief for Richard Childress Racing. The team has struggled all season, but now that they have shown signs of significant improvement, the aim will be to replicate it for the remaining three races of the regular season. Kyle Busch, hoping for a miracle to make it into the playoffs, will want his car to perform just like Dillon’s No. 3 Chevy at Richmond, which will give him a fighting chance to salvage his 2024 season.

Austin Dillon expresses support for Kyle Busch’s playoff ambitions

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The Cook Out 400 in Richmond ended as controversially as it could have, with Austin Dillon wrecking Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin on his way to the checkered flag. Despite the nature of his victory, Kyle Busch was one of the first drivers to extend his congratulations, giving the 34-year-old some much-needed emotional support. Complimenting his performance, Rowdy said, “You were the best car, and you dominated,” giving credit where it was due, even though Busch didn’t even make it into the top ten.

In return, Austin Dillon expressed his support for Kyle Busch’s postseason ambitions, saying on the Dirty Jr Download podcast, “We got to do everything we can to help Kyle get to victory lane to get a playoff spot as well. And Kyle is one of those that you just got to respect because of his commitment to winning at all costs, just like all the great race car drivers. He’s had a frustrating season for his standards as well and we all feel that at RCR and we’ve got to get him to where he’s capable of and that’s running in the top 5 and winning races each and every week and hopefully, we can start that momentum now.”

With three races remaining before the regular season ends, Kyle Busch will hope to put in some strong performances at Michigan, Daytona, and Darlington. The 39-year-old has never gone an entire season without winning a race in his professional career, and if there is even a sliver of hope that he can salvage his season, Busch will grab the opportunity with both hands. As things stand, nothing less than a victory will assure him a spot in the playoffs, which means Richard Childress Racing needs to replicate what they did at Richmond once again—only this time, it needs to be in Busch’s No. 8 Chevrolet Camaro.

Do you think Kyle Busch can make it into the playoffs? Let us know in the comments!