In July Austin Dillon confirmed his commitment to RCR to see out his contract while assuring fans of big changes coming to the team. At that time, he was 32nd in the points and was struggling along with other RCR drivers. By the end of the season, very little changed for Dillon as he finished in the same spot, his worst performance in 11 Cup Series seasons. As Dillon said changes are coming to the team and it is possible that he could be affected by those plans

At the age of 34, Dillon has plenty of experience and should be performing better than he is, but his results have left much to be desired. With four wins in the Cup Series throughout his career, it’s fair to say that Dillon hasn’t made a mark in NASCAR’s premier competition. Yet, his seat at Richard Childress Racing has always been assured, despite lackluster results on the racetrack. After a decade of disappointments, could his grandfather’s patience be wearing thin?

If numbers are anything to go by, Austin Dillon finished the season with an average finish of 22.556, the worst in his career so far. He also ended the year with just 493 points, the lowest tally in his Cup Series tenure. However, unlike his teammate Kyle Busch, Austin Dillon did manage to win a race in the Cup Series, breaking a winless streak that had extended to over 60 races. However, it didn’t happen without controversy, as the No. 3 Chevy driver was seen wrecking Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano in the final lap at Richmond Raceway before crossing the checkered flag.

After much deliberation, NASCAR revoked his playoff eligibility and docked Richard Childress Racing 25 points from the owner’s and driver’s standings while his spotter Brandon Benesch received a three-race ban. That wasn’t the only controversy he was involved in either.

After the penultimate Cup Series race of the season, Austin Dillon was found guilty of ‘race manipulation’ for helping fellow Chevrolet driver William Byron, by blocking incoming traffic at the Martinsville Speedway racetrack. With a spot in Championship 4 on the line, the Richard Childress Racing driver refused to overtake the No. 24 Chevy.

Hence, there was a subsequent fine of $200,000 along with 50 points deducted and suspensions for team executive Keith Rodden, crew chief Justin Alexander, and spotter Brandon Benesch. So the question is where does it leave Dillon?

Influence, sponsorships, talent, and hard work. That’s all it takes to break into the NASCAR Cup Series. While the latter two are a given, getting an opportunity to go wheel-to-wheel against some of the best drivers in the world comes down to more than just merit. Money and influence play a big role in having a seat at NASCAR’s highest level, with the likes of Ty Gibbs and Austin Dillon competing against the big boys thanks to having influential grandfathers within the sport. There has been plenty of chatter about nepotism in NASCAR, and it’s unlikely to go away anytime soon.

But Richard Childress faces a dilemma. If Dillon keeps his seat, Jessie Love and Austin Hill may get tired of having to wait around for their opportunity for an open Cup Series ride at RCR. This could mean they would jump at the chance of racing for the next highest bidder. This is a situation, RCR will be keen to avoid. Moreover, the future of Busch is also far from clear, complicating things further for Childress.

There have been reports of Dillon moving out of racecar and into an administrative role at RCR, but doesn’t seem it will happen anytime soon. He is still contracted to race till 2026 and is keen to complete that tenure. But given how the season has unfolded for Dillon, it might prompt a rethink by Childress and the rest of the team.

Teams letting go of drivers despite new contracts is nothing new. In 2023, Corey Lajoie signed a multi-year deal with Spire but confirmed that he won’t be returning to the team next year. Spire Motorsports co-owner Jeff Dickerson shared the reason behind his early departure. “In racing, there are always variables, but one thing we all know, is this is a performance-based business, and it just hasn’t been there for several reasons. All those reasons are factored in when it comes to making a decision of this magnitude,” he said.

At the end of the day, it’s all about the results, which haven’t come for RCR and Dillon. So we could see the team make a decision and have Dillon moved to his desired administrative role early and perhaps put Hill or Love in the number 7. Whatever changes RCR have planned for next season, they would have to be significant to make the team compete at the high end of the table again.

While the North Carolina native may be walking on thin ice if his performances don’t improve next year, his teammate has fared no better lately.

Dillon isn’t the only RCR driver whose future is uncertain

It hasn’t been a good year for Richard Childress Racing. While Austin Dillon has had a season to forget, his teammate Kyle Busch hasn’t performed much better either. For the first time in 19 seasons, ‘Rowdy’ has ended his campaign without a single victory, failing to point his way through the playoffs as well. The No. 8 Chevy driver has come agonizingly close on several occasions, finishing 0.002 seconds behind winner Daniel Suarez at Atlanta Motor Speedway. If that wasn’t all, he finished runner-up at Daytona and Darlington, adding to his heartbreak.

Reflecting on his 2024 season, Busch wrote a heartfelt message on X, saying, “Arguably the toughest year of my career. Full of trials, [and] heartbreaks. I know my RCR guys [are] gonna get after it this winter [and] we’ll come back strong [next] season. Grateful for all of our partners, helping us do what we love. [Thanks] Rowdy Nation for sticking with me. Y’all [are] the best.”

Unlike Austin Dillon, Kyle Busch has just one more year remaining on his contract and his future at Richard Childress Racing is unclear. Could ‘Rowdy’ look for a move elsewhere, after a disastrous 2024 season? While that might seem like a logical option, the 39-year-old will wait and see how the 2025 season plays out, and if there is a noticeable performance improvement. Having won the championship twice before, Busch will aim to remain in contention for silverware every year and will want a team that can match his lofty ambitions.