While Hendrick Motorsports split up one of, if not the most dominant crew chief/driver combinations in history with Chad Knaus and Jimmie Johnson, Richard Childress Racing was doing the exact opposite.
The iconic No. 3 of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series already has its place in the history books, but current driver Austin Dillon looks to build on that legacy while establishing his own page along with it. And he feels that the time is now, with his partner in crime, crew chief Danny Stockman, by his side.
With the two of them working together, Dillon and Stockman won the Gander Outdoor Truck Series championship in 2011 and the XFINITY Series championship in 2013, picking up the Rookie of the Year honor in both the years preceding each title. While Austin Dillon was moved up to the Cup Series full-time in 2014, Danny Stockman remained with the RCR organization in the XFINITY Series.
In five seasons, Dillon has had limited success with some career-defining highlights already winning the pole position for the Daytona 500 in his rookie season, conquering NASCAR’s longest race, the Coca-Cola 600 in 2017, and every driver’s dream, the 2018 Great American Race, the Daytona 500. Those wins qualified him for the Playoffs in each of those years however the ultimate goal isn’t just winning occasionally and just making the playoffs, it is being a weekly favorite and one of the annual final four contenders for the championship. Dillon thinks having the right guy on top of the ‘war wagon’ calling the shots is what’s missing and needed.
“I think chemistry is very key in this sport. I’ve been able to work with a lot of different crew chiefs over time. And there’s one guy that I’ve always thought about and I finally got him back and it’s Danny Stockman.”
Austin Dillon after reunited with Championship Winning Crew Chief Danny Stockman
If the pair can recreate their past magic, history could be made.
Austin Dillon currently is one of eight drivers that have earned championships in two of the top-three NASCAR touring series. Bobby Labonte, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, and Martin Truex, Jr all have won both the XFINITY and Monster Energy Cup Series titles, missing the Gander Outdoor Truck Series crown to complete the trifecta. Greg Biffle, Johnny Benson Jr., and Dillon are missing that elite one at the top level.
Based on active driving status and current series eligibility rules, Austin Dillon is the only one right now that is capable of becoming the first driver to achieve such a feat. And Danny Stockman is the one that could take him there, becoming the first duo to accomplish it together.