On a warm July day in 2020 at Texas Motor Speedway, Austin Dillon pulled into Victory Lane and silenced his critics. Driving the iconic No. 3 car, once made legendary by Dale Earnhardt in NASCAR, he held off teammate Tyler Reddick to win the O’Reilly Auto Parts 500. The win didn’t just mean another trophy. It was a statement. Dillon turned to the cameras and smiled, “Not bad for a silver spoon kid, huh?”

Critics had long labelled him as a driver who got his break because of his last name and grandfather. But that day in Texas, he flipped the script. Austin wasn’t just driving for Richard Childress Racing. He was carrying a legacy. “This has been coming. We’ve had good cars all year. I’ve got my baby Ace back home, my wife. I’m just so happy,” he further added. The victory felt like validation, a rare moment when the spotlight didn’t come with shadows.

His grandfather, Richard Childress, once again looked like a man who had made the right call by putting family in the No. 3, but fast-forward to 2025, and the noise is back—and louder than ever. Only this time, it’s not just about Austin’s performance but also about his younger brother, Ty Dillon. Ty continues to outperform expectations in Kaulig Racing’s No. 10, and fans are now asking a question that has lingered for over a decade: Did Richard Childress back the wrong grandson?

It only took one social media post to reignite a long-standing debate. A fan wrote: “Some people might not agree, but I think Richard backed the wrong grandson. Ty should be in the 3.” That lit the fuse. NASCAR fans flooded the post with their opinions. One fan wrote, “Kaulig Racing has an alliance with RCR. Ty’s running RCR-prepared cars—and outperforming Austin.” That statement hit a nerve because it’s true: both teams operate under the same umbrella, with cars built at the RCR campus.

Yet one driver, who never got a true shot at RCR’s flagship seat, is now doing more with less. However, in truth, neither Ty nor Richard ever claimed there was favoritism. In 2014, Childress said on SiriusXM: “We felt Austin was the best fit for the 3 cars at that time. Ty is carving his own path, and we want to support that.” Ty echoed that sentiment for years. In 2017, he said, “I’ve always wanted to be more than just the other Dillon. That meant earning respect with different people.”

However, the debate reignited as Ty Dillon is quietly crafting a redemption arc in 2025. After years of bouncing between rides, Ty landed full-time at Kaulig Racing, replacing Daniel Hemric. And so far, he’s made the most of it. With zero DNFs, a best finish of 14th at Daytona, and a better average finish (20.75) than his brother Austin (21.50), Ty is outperforming expectations in a mid-tier ride. He’s also four points ahead of Austin in the standings after eight races.

However, overall, Austin has a better resume, as he has been RCR’s face since 2014. He has five Cup wins, including a Daytona 500 and a Coca-Cola 600. He also has 80 top 10s and six poles. But his 2025 stats paint a grimmer picture: average finish of 21.5, zero Top 10s, and no laps led. What is his best result so far? A 12th-place result at Phoenix, achieved by utilizing Goodyear’s option tires, and his crew chief, Richard Boswell, got stick for that too.

After their run at Phoenix, Boswell went on SiriusXM and said, “It’s fun for me to sit there on top of the box and try to understand how I can maximize my day by being on the same strategy as others… I’m a fan of the option tire being the standard tire, and something even softer being the option.” Denny Hamlin’s former crew chief and current Joe Gibbs Racing competition director, Chris Gabehart, was not a fan of this sentiment. Gabehart wrote on X in response, “Summary: He’s a fan of getting to participate for the win via the Caution Lottery,” taking a jab at the #3’s strategy to save their tires for the late caution instead of working toward stage points of track position. The numbers reflect this strategy, and it’s a far cry from the numbers RCR wants in Dale Earnhardt’s old ride.

Fans have taken notice. Ty is showing up each week with steady results in satellite equipment. Austin, despite years of elite resources, seems stuck in neutral. This discrepancy has reignited the family debate—who really deserved the spotlight?

Fans rally behind Ty Dillon over Richard Childress’ heir!

As Richard Childress grooms Austin to run RCR in the future, fans are watching closely. And more than ever, they’re wondering if the man behind 258 wins and 14 championships might have made his only mistake within his own family. A user chimed in, “I think being in lesser equipment gave Ty a skill set Austin lacks. Ty got the hand-me-downs. Austin got the best crew and Richard’s full backing.”

This isn’t just an opinion. Ty has raced for multiple teams, often with weaker setups, and now he’s adapting faster than his brother. It’s not hard to see why some fans say, “Ty’s gonna be the one to take over RCR once Pop Pop becomes too much of a liability.” Meanwhile, some fans also pointed out that despite his success, Austin Dillon often gets himself stuck in on-track incidents, unlike his brother Ty. “Austin Dillon has the better resume, but Ty Dillon is the better person,” a user wrote.

That comment highlights something deeper than race finishes—it shows how people view the two as professionals and as representatives of a legacy. Fans often see Ty as a self-made driver, while they view Austin as a silver spoon baby. His on-track antics only add fuel to the fire. And then some’ve backed Ty from the beginning. “I said Ty had more talent way back in his ARCA days. Most people felt Ty was the better talent going back 15 years or so ago. He just never got the same support,” one user wrote.

While the 2025 season might be young, fans are just going behind Richard Childress for his choice. Ty, who chose to go outside his grandfather’s shadows, is still looking for his maiden win, but his recent performance put him as the frontrunner. And so, while Austin Dillon may still be the symbolic heir to Richard Childress Racing, the tide of public opinion is shifting.