NASCAR Cup Series: Reviewing the first four drivers out of the playoffs

Austin Dillon

Austin Dillon wasn’t supposed to make it to the next round. Heck, he wasn’t supposed to be in the playoffs at all. But Dillon, still riding on his Daytona 500 victory, found himself in a great position heading into Sunday’s Bank of America Roval 400.

Sitting above the round of 12 cut line, Dillon had surprised fans by pointing his way into a solid position in the playoff picture. Of course, this all went downhill in yesterday’s event.

Dillon, who needed a solid result, found himself in trouble once again. Much like the case was in the regular season, he didn’t have a great car, which put him mid-pack most of the day. This eventually led to trouble, as he made contact with the wall and finished in 39th place.

Slipping from ninth to 14th place in the standings, Dillon became what most fans thought he would be: an early exit in the playoffs.

Taking a look at his entire season, it’s been a rough one for Dillon. There have been flashes of speed, but he ultimately won the 2018 Daytona 500 and recorded two top five finished and five top 10 finishes. His average finish is 18.4, which is the lowest of any playoff competitor.

Though I don’t expect much of a change next season, the best way for Dillon to build some momentum in the final seven races is simply to roll the dice.

Richard Childress Racing need to go for broke in the final weeks of the season and continue to work on finding an advantage with the almost year-old Camaro ZL1. Next year, rookie Daniel Hemric will become Dillon’s teammate, making Dillon the sole veteran on the team.

It’s time for Dillon to carry Richard Childress Racing through the future, and 2019 will be here before you know it.