No. 3 crew chief talks pressure, adjusting to rule changes
RELATED: Full race results | Updated series standings
LOUDON, N.H. -- Austin Dillon managed a weak smile.
"I'm pretty cooked, really," the Richard Childress Racing driver said as he leaned against a car on pit road, moments after Sunday's 5-Hour Energy 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway had ended.
Dillon finished eighth on an unseasonably hot day at NHMS. It was his second top 10 in three races (he was seventh earlier this month at Daytona) and just his third of the season.
The No. 3 team needed a good finish. Dillon needed a good finish. It's been something of a trying year for the 25-year-old. Now, perhaps, the team has something to build on just past the halfway point of the 36-race NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. Time will tell.
"We really did," he said. "I'm just proud to finish one off strong like that. When you get a little momentum, it goes a long way."
Carl Edwards finished seventh, Jeff Gordon ninth. Both stopped by to chat briefly with Dillon, recounting their race-ending battle on the 1.058-mile track.
"It was a good momentum-building weekend for us, a good day in points," crew chief Richard "Slugger" Labbe said. "Austin's been beat up. He hasn't had really good finishes and he's under a lot of pressure just like all of us.
"I try my hardest and I don't let the pressure get to me. It's tough. It's a tough job. Especially being on the 3 (team), working for Richard and having big sponsors like we do with Dow and American Ethanol … so many big partners. At the end of the day, you've got to perform."
His top-10 result moved Dillon up two spots in the points standings – he'll head to Indianapolis Motor Speedway next weekend 19th in the standings and still searching for his first Sprint Cup win.
Although he qualified 24th in the 43-car field, Dillon was working his way forward and was 16th after pitting under green when a fire on the No. 7 of Alex Bowman brought out the second caution flag of the race.
Those who hadn't pitted under green made their stops and when the field was reset, Dillon was nearly outside the top 30.
Slowly, he began to work his way back toward the top 10.
"We finally got our track position (back) halfway through the race," Dillon said. "That helped the most."
Now, he said, "it's just about trying to figure out how to get it earlier, qualifying better."
Labbe, the Daytona 500 winning crew chief for Michael Waltrip in 2003, came back on the road full-time to lead the No. 3 team in late June at Sonoma. Previously, he was overseeing Richard Childress Racing's research and development program.
"It's been tough … because the first race (back) was Sonoma, the next race was Daytona, and the next race was Kentucky with new rules. This was really the first race that's been 'normal' racing," Labbe said.
"Now we go to Indy (and another rules package). It's been hard to go through four concepts with a new driver. It's been a challenge but my guys have done a really good job.
"Everyone at RCR is working hard to make the cars better, faster, lighter, more aerodynamic.
"The good thing is we get to go to Eldora. We built a truck in our shop for Austin. Chad Haney (car chief on the No. 3) is going to crew chief it. So there's a little play day coming up."