Richard Childress Racing finally has something to celebrate. After many races of frustration, RCR driver Austin Dillon won the pole Friday night at Auto Club Speedway for Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Auto Club 400. Dillon will lead the field to the green in the iconic number 3 Chevy with teammate Ryan Newman in fourth behind him. Former Childress driver Kevin Harvick will start second with new track record holder Denny Hamlin third.
The pole was the second for Dillon his first coming at Daytona in 2014. Friday’s qualifying results also marks the first time since Atlanta in 2008 that two RCR cars will start in the top five.
“It means everything,” Dillon said. “That is what I said down the backstretch.