Austin Dillon Warns Drivers Ahead Of Atlanta Motor Speedway – ‘Usually Doesn’t Turn Out Well’

As the NASCAR Cup Series heads to Atlanta Motor Speedway, RCR driver Austin Dillon has issued a warning to the grid. Known for its challenging layout and evolving track conditions, Atlanta isn’t forgiving to those without a sound strategy.

Dillon stressed the importance of planning in the team’s press release, noting that, due to drafting-style racing at the track, it is imperative to have a clear game plan.

“When you don’t have a game plan that you can fully commit to, you can get stuck in the middle and that usually doesn’t turn out well,” Dillon said. This is going to be an unpredictable race that drivers face at the famous 1.54-mile oval.

Richard Childress Racing has a storied history at Atlanta Motor Speedway, boasting an impressive performance record. In the NASCAR Cup Series, RCR has notched up 163 starts and secured nine victories.

Among these, Dale Earnhardt’s eight wins, spanning from 1984 to 2000, stand out, along with Kevin Harvick’s memorable 2001 victory. Adding to this legacy, RCR has clinched four Pole Awards, 31 top-five finishes, and 62 top-10 placements, cumulatively leading 3,008 laps.

The team’s NASCAR Xfinity Series stats are also highly impressive, with six wins, including three by Austin Hill over consecutive seasons from 2022 to 2024, supported by 17 top-five finishes and 32 top-10 finishes in 62 starts.

Looking ahead to this weekend, the Focused Health 250 is set for Saturday, September 7, at 3 p.m. ET, and the Atlanta 400 will follow on Sunday, September 8, at 3 p.m. ET. Both races will be broadcast on USA Network, with additional audio available on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

Dillon’s personal history at Atlanta Motor Speedway includes 15 starts in the NASCAR Cup Series, with his best finish being sixth place in March 2021. He’ll be wanting to improve upon this this weekend.

Across the NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Truck Series, he has joined in on eight combined races, achieving top-10 results in seven and never finishing worse than 11th. These consistent performances make Dillon’s insights particularly valuable at Atlanta.

Fans will have ample opportunities to meet Dillon on race day. He will be available for an autograph session at the RCR Merchandise Hauler at 11:50 a.m. ET and will answer questions at the Team Chevrolet Display at 12:15 p.m. ET on Sunday, September 8.

As Dillon prepares for the upcoming races, he is cautious given the nature of the track:

“I enjoy racing at Atlanta Motor Speedway. It’s interesting with the drafting style racing there now. Coming up with a game plan is going to be key. The track itself is still changing. RCR and ECR Engines always bring fast superspeedway cars with a lot of power though, so we need to capitalize on the weekend overall,” he shared.