When the black No. 3 Chevrolet crossed the finish line at the 2018 Daytona 500, the roar from the grandstands wasn’t just about a race win. It was a ghost coming home. For twenty years, that number had been a sacred, painful relic of NASCAR history, tucked away by Richard Childress after the tragic loss of Dale Earnhardt in 2001. Then came Austin Dillon.
He didn't just drive it; he won in it.
But if you ask any die-hard fan about that day, they aren’t talking about the "Harley J. Earl" trophy or the points. They’re talking about Turn 3. They’re talking about Aric Almirola spinning into the wall and whether Dillon "earned" that victory or simply took it by force. Honestly, the Austin Dillon Daytona 500 story is way messier than the highlight reels suggest. It’s a mix of legacy, massive pressure, and the kind of aggressive driving that makes some people love NASCAR and others want to throw their remote at the TV.
The Weight of the Number 3
You can’t talk about Austin Dillon at Daytona without talking about the "Silver Spoon" label. Being the grandson of Richard Childress comes with perks—like getting the best equipment—but it also puts a massive target on your back. When Childress decided to bring the No. 3 back to the Cup Series in 2014, the traditionalists weren't happy. They felt the number belonged to Earnhardt and Earnhardt alone.
Dillon felt that weight. He's admitted it.
In 2014, he actually won the pole for the Daytona 500. It was a fairy-tale start, but poles don't win races. For four years, he hunted for that signature win to justify his place in that seat. He needed something to prove he wasn't just a "legacy hire."
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What Really Happened on the Final Lap in 2018
Fast forward to the 60th running of the Great American Race. It was a "game of survivor," basically. Big wrecks had thinned out the field, leaving a handful of drivers to battle it out in overtime. Dillon was sitting fourth on the final restart. He had Darrell "Bubba" Wallace Jr. behind him giving him a massive shove down the backstretch.
Then came the moment everyone still argues about.
Aric Almirola was leading. He moved up to block Dillon. Dillon didn’t lift. He stayed in the gas, hooked Almirola’s bumper, and sent the No. 10 Ford nose-first into the outside wall.
"I did what I had to do," Dillon said later in Victory Lane. It was cold. It was calculated. It was exactly what Dale Earnhardt used to do. The irony? It happened 20 years to the day after Earnhardt’s only Daytona 500 win in 1998. The symmetry was almost spooky.
- The Contact: Dillon tagged Almirola in Turn 3.
- The Result: Almirola wrecked; Dillon cruised to the win.
- The Fallout: Fans were divided. Was it a "bump and run" or just a "dump"?
Many people forget that Almirola himself later admitted he probably blocked a bit too late. At 200 mph, with the biggest trophy in motorsports on the line, nobody is hitting the brakes. If you're a driver and you lift there, you might as well retire.
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More Than Just a One-Hit Wonder?
Is Austin Dillon a "superspeedway specialist"? Some say yes. Others say he just gets lucky. But look at the stats. He won at Daytona again in 2022—this time in the summer race—to clinch a playoff spot in another "win or go home" scenario. He has this weird knack for being in the right place when the world is ending around him on track.
In 2024 and 2025, we saw this aggressive streak boil over again. His win at Richmond in August 2025 was basically a carbon copy of his Daytona aggression, where he had to fight through controversy just to keep his playoff hopes alive. He's become the "closer" for Richard Childress Racing (RCR), even if it isn't always pretty.
The reality is that RCR has been "mid" for a long time. They aren't Hendrick Motorsports or Joe Gibbs Racing. They don't have the raw speed every week. So, when Austin Dillon gets to a place like Daytona where the draft levels the playing field, he knows he has to be ruthless.
Misconceptions About the 2018 Win
One thing that gets lost in the shuffle is that Dillon actually started that 2018 race in a backup car. He crashed his primary car in the Duels. To come from the back of the pack in a car the team had to scramble to prepare is actually an incredible feat of mechanical endurance.
Also, people think he "stole" it from a faster car. Ryan Blaney actually led 118 laps that day. He was the class of the field. But Daytona doesn't care who's fastest for the first 490 miles. It only cares who leads the last ten inches.
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Why the Austin Dillon Daytona 500 Win Still Matters in 2026
As we look at the 2026 season, Dillon is still in that No. 3. He’s now a veteran. He’s the general manager of a bull riding team (the Carolina Cowboys) and a father. But every time the circuit heads to Florida in February, the "Turn 3" videos start circulating again.
He proved that the No. 3 belongs in Victory Lane, regardless of how he got it there. For Richard Childress, seeing his grandson win the race that took his best friend's life was a form of closure that no one else could have provided.
Next Steps for Fans and Analysts:
- Watch the On-Board Footage: If you haven't seen the 2018 final lap from Dillon's roof cam, go find it. It shows just how much Almirola was weaving to break the draft.
- Analyze the RCR Engine Program: Notice how often RCR-powered cars (including those from partner teams) run at the front of superspeedways. Their restrictor-plate/tapered-spacer program is arguably the best in the business.
- Keep an Eye on the 2026 Duels: Dillon often uses the qualifying races to test exactly how much of a "push" his car can take before it gets loose. This is usually the tell-tale sign of whether he'll be a contender on Sunday.
The legacy of Austin Dillon at Daytona is one of survival. He isn't trying to be the most popular driver. He isn't trying to be the cleanest. He’s trying to be the guy holding the trophy when the smoke clears. Love him or hate him, that’s exactly what the No. 3 was always meant to do.