DARLINGTON, S.C. — It was a grind-it-out kind of Sunday for Richard Childress Racing at Darlington Raceway, as all three of its Cup Series entries faced varying degrees of adversity in the Goodyear 400. Austin Dillon, Kyle Busch, and Austin Hill each brought home valuable experience and lessons from the historic 1.366-mile track known as “The Lady in Black.”

Austin Dillon Races Inside Top 10 Before Late-Race Misfortune

Austin Dillon and the No. 3 BREZTRI AEROSPHERE® Chevrolet fought hard all afternoon, navigating a tight-handling race car and the ever-challenging Darlington traffic. After pitting early to make adjustments, Dillon found himself mired deep in the field, where dirty air made passing a tall task.

Despite the early setback, Dillon raced his way back onto the lead lap and surged into the top 10 during the final stage. The team’s strategy hinged on stretching a run and catching a timely caution to vault into the top 15, but a late yellow after green flag stops shuffled the No. 3 back to a 23rd-place finish.

“We were able to make up a lap late and raced into the top 10,” said Dillon. “We were just trying to run long and catch a caution that would have given us track position. We’ll go back to Welcome and come back stronger.”

Kyle Busch Earns Top-10 Finish with No. 8 Cheddar’s Chevrolet

Kyle Busch piloted the No. 8 Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen Chevrolet to a hard-earned 10th-place finish after starting eighth. The two-time Cup champion battled a loose condition early in the race, prompting the team to make continuous adjustments to find balance.

Though grip remained elusive at times, Busch and his team dialed the car in late and showed strong pace down the stretch. It was the team’s second top-10 finish in the last three races and a step forward in consistency.

“We were really fast toward the end,” Busch said. “It just took a little too long for us to hit on what we needed. But we’ll take a solid top-10 finish out of it.”

Austin Hill Gains Experience with the No. 33 United Rentals Chevrolet

In just his second career Cup Series start, Austin Hill’s focus was on gaining track time and experience — and he accomplished just that. The No. 33 United Rentals Chevrolet completed all but a handful of laps, finishing 31st after a pair of late-race pit stops disrupted a promising mid-race run.

The car showed potential through the middle stages, but the handling shifted from tight to loose over the course of each run, making it difficult to find a consistent rhythm.

“Of course we would have liked a better result, but we had a good run there in the middle that showed potential,” Hill said. “I think we were capable of a top-20, top-25 finish. I’m appreciative of the opportunity and look forward to being back in the No. 33 at Chicago.”

Looking Ahead

While the results may not have matched the expectations heading into Darlington, RCR leaves with valuable data, lessons learned, and a resilient mindset. The team now turns its attention to the next stop on the NASCAR Cup Series calendar — aiming to convert potential into podiums as the season heats up.