NASCAR: 3 drivers who could become the next driver-owners

Possible future NASCAR driver-owners: No. 2 – Austin Dillon

Austin Dillon having ownership in the team for which he competes, Richard Childress Racing (RCR), may already seem like a foregone conclusion. The grandson of RCR team owner Richard Childress has competed for the team for his entire NASCAR career and brought the return of the iconic number 3 when he arrived full-time in the Cup Series.

In regard to Dillon’s contribution to the business side of RCR, Childress credited his grandson as being the one to pitch the idea of signing Kyle Busch to drive the #8 Chevrolet in 2023. Dillon effectively served as the man who brought Busch to RCR, allowing the two sides to move forward from an altercation at Kansas Speedway in 2011.

It’s hard to argue that Dillon won’t receive the team when the time comes. Childress has owned the organization since 1969, starting as a driver-owner himself, and he has no reason to sell to anyone else.

While Ty Dillon, Austin’s younger brother, may come back into the fold when it comes to ownership in RCR, he has competed elsewhere as a driver throughout his career. After driving for Petty GMS Motorsports in 2022, he is set to join Spire Motorsports in 2023.

Whether one or both Dillon brothers obtain some level of ownership in RCR, it’s clear and justifiable that the family member currently competing for the team will eventually receive the keys to the building.

Would the move happen during Dillon’s driving career, adding him to the list of driver-owners? The move could allow for an increase in feedback to the team and staff while setting him up if Childress steps back himself.