Brothers make side trips to Volusia Speedway Park for DIRTcar Nationals
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- The NASCAR season hasn't officially begun -- Thursday's annual media day here is a non-points function -- but Austin Dillon already has a win and two top-five finishes.
Dillon, along with younger brother Ty, has been competing each night at nearby Volusia Speedway Park (Barberville, Florida) in the DIRTcar Nationals. The multi-night event highlights dirt-track competition in UMP Modified entries.
"We started off Tuesday night ... with a win and that was pretty awesome," Dillon said. "Looking forward to finishing out the week there; we've already had a little bit of success -- finished first (Tuesday) and third (Wednesday)."
With his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series duties yet to begin -- practice for those in Saturday night's Sprint Unlimited begins Friday -- Dillon said he's hopeful he can squeeze in several more nights of racing on the dirt track.
"I'll be back out there tonight and hopefully tomorrow night after (Unlimited) practice; then take Saturday off, go back Sunday, Monday and Tuesday," he said.
"Every year we come down here and run the dirt Modifieds, after we're done we put them on the shelf for the year."
That doesn't end his dirt-track effort, however. Dillon also runs a dirt Late Model several times throughout the year.
"I just love getting to the dirt track whenever I can," he said.
Dillon, a former XFINITY Series champion, is beginning his second full season in the Sprint Cup Series as driver of the Richard Childress Racing No. 3 Chevrolet. He finished 20th in points last year, with one top-five and four top-10s.
He is the defending pole winner for the season-opening Daytona 500.
Competing outside NASCAR has not been an issue thus far, he said.
"No one has said anything. The only guy that could make that call (is) my grandfather (team owner Richard Childress), and he enjoys watching us race on dirt," Dillon said.
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