The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season is scheduled to mark Austin Dillon’s 12th as a full-time competitor of the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing (RCR) Chevrolet entry in the series. Before his quest to win both a second Daytona 500 and a first Cup title commences in the middle of February, he enters this upcoming weekend’s Cook Out Clash festivities at Bowman Gray Stadium with a goal to make his 10th career appearance in the season-opening exhibition event.
A native of Welcome, North Carolina, Dillon made his first-ever start in the Clash in 2015 when the event occurred at Daytona International Speedway. By then, he had earned a starting spot for the event by virtue of winning his first Cup pole position for the 56th running of the Daytona 500 in February 2014, which made him the fifth rookie candidate in NASCAR’s premier series to achieve a pole award for the Great American Race. Starting in sixth place for his first Clash start, Dillon finished 17th after being involved in a late multi-car wreck with Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Over his next five Clash starts on Daytona’s 2.5-superspeedway venue, Dillon finished in the top eight four times. Within the results, he notched his career-best finish in the event to date of second place in 2020. During the event’s lone event at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course venue, the North Carolinian settled in 11th place on the track.
Then, as the event was relocated to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, starting in 2022, Dillon notched a strong third-place effort. He backed up his result by tying his career-best Clash result with a second-place finish behind Martin Truex Jr. in 2023. Amid the strong results, Dillon did not claim a starting spot for the 2024 event due to not transferring from the event’s group qualifying session.
Through nine previous starts in the Clash, Dillon has recorded four top-five results, six top-10 results, 12 laps led, and an average finishing result of 7.3. Due to finishing in 28th place in the 2024 driver’s standings, he will have to earn a starting spot for the 2025 Clash either through one of four Heat qualifying races scheduled for February 1 or through the 75-lap Last Chance Qualifier Race that will occur on February 2 before the main event.
Currently, Dillon is tied with Kyle Larson in having the fifth-most Clash starts among active competitors all-time at nine. As he attempts to qualify for his 10th career Clash start in 2025, he will also attempt to become the 26th competitor to win the exhibition event and pilot the No. 3 RCR entry to its first Clash victory since the late seven-time champion Dale Earnhardt achieved the latest mark in 1995. Should Dillon win the 2025 Clash, he would also deliver the first victory in the event for RCR since three-time Clash champion Kevin Harvick made the last accomplishment in 2013.
The 2025 Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium is scheduled to occur on Sunday, February 2, with a starting broadcast time at 8 p.m. ET on FOX.
