400 laps of racing at Charlotte Motor Speedway and Austin Dillon’s No. 3 car wouldn’t have made it one more if he begged it.
Dillon was one of a handful of drivers that elected not to take a pit stop on lap 368 of the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday, and his fuel-mileage gamble gave him fist first career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory.
Dillon was able to overcome a one hour, 40-minute weather delay, Martin Truex Jr., Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch to take the checkered flag.
Truex Jr. led for a majority of the race, including re-taking the lead from Busch on a restart with 67 laps to go. But while Truex Jr. and Busch elected to pit, Johnson and Dillon stayed out on the course and gambled, knowing that the only way they could overtake those two would be to risk running out of fuel.
And that’s exactly what Johnson did.
Johnson led for 30 laps, but the No. 48 car finally ran out of gas with two laps remaining.
Dillon sped past Johnson and was able to hold off Busch and Truex Jr., who finished second and third respectively.
It was the first win for the No. 3 car in NASCAR Cup Series since Dale Earnhardt Sr. won on Oct. 15, 2000, at Talladega.
Dillon’s grandfather, Richard Childress, couldn’t have been prouder.
Dillon and his crew had a little fun celebrating on the infield grass afterward.
Matt Kenseth and Denny Hamlin rounded out the top five. Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished 10th.
The win all but assures Dillon will qualify for the NASCAR playoffs for the first time in his career.
Thumbnail photo via Mike DiNovo/USA TODAY Sports Images
