Austin Dillon has two things running through his veins: blood and racing. They’re inseparable.
It’s really not surprising. After all, Austin’s father, Mike Dillon, raced in NASCAR before he became a team executive.
Austin’s mother is the daughter of NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Childress. And younger brother Ty is also continuing the family racing business in NASCAR Cup.
"(Growing up) was a blast,” he said. “You grow up in that fast-paced atmosphere and you want to be a part of it your whole life. It’s a lifestyle that one day I hoped I one day would be in and now I am. It’s great.”
Austin was a special guest on Wednesday’s NASCAR America, which originated from the NASCAR Hall of Fame in downtown Charlotte.
Along with host Marty Snider and analysts Jeff Burton and NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Jarrett, the older Dillon brother talked what it was like not just growing up, but also growing up around some of the greatest names in the sport, like Dale Earnhardt, who won six of his seven Cup championships for Austin’s beloved “pop pop.”
Dillon also revealed that had he not made it in racing, he may have done so in baseball. He grew up a talented hitter and even helped lead his team to the Little League World Series.
But when you’re surrounded by racing 24 hours a day and 365 days a year, baseball eventually took a back seat to the family business.
Dillon has two championships already in his NASCAR career: Trucks and Xfinity. His big goal now is to win a NASCAR Cup crown -- he has a chance at doing so being part of this season’s upcoming NASCAR Cup playoffs -- and become the first driver ever in the sport’s history to win championships in all three of NASCAR’s major series.
Check out the video above to learn more about the life Dillon has lived up to now, and what he hopes to do in the future.