Austin Dillon Snaps Winless Streak with O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 Victory

On Sunday afternoon, NASCAR’s best hit the track for 334 laps around Texas Motor Speedway. In-car temperatures of over 140°F didn’t stop Austin Dillon from collecting his first win of the season in the O’Reilly Auto Parts 500.

“Not bad for a silver spoon kid”, Austin Dillon joked in his post-race interview with NBC Sports. “1,2 for RCR, this has been coming; we’ve had fast cars all year.”

“I’m so happy. Thank God”, Dillon said as he leaned over his car, exhausted from the 500 mile race.

Due to failed inspections, Chase Elliott and Reed Sorenson had to start at the tail of the field. Pole-sitter, Aric Almirola came over the radio during the pace laps saying his No. 10 Mustang has no brakes.

Despite having brake troubles, Almirola was able to pull away from Ryan Blaney before the competition caution came out on lap 20. Almirola stayed out under this caution along with Kevin Harvick and a few others.

During green flag pit stops, Almirola was too aggressive off pit road and was handed a blend line violation penalty; he had to serve a pass-through. While that was happening, Martin Truex Jr. ran out of gas on track.

After pit stops concluded, it was Ryan Blaney who held off Kyle Busch to win stage one.

Stage One:

  1. Ryan Blaney
  2. Kyle Busch
  3. Kevin Harvick
  4. Tyler Reddick
  5. William Byron
  6. Kurt Busch
  7. Jimmie Johnson
  8. Alex Bowman
  9. Chris Buescher
  10. Martin Truex Jr.

 

12 laps into the second stage, the No. 48 of Jimmie Johnson got loose in turn four, hitting the outside wall causing heavy damage. To add on to his already tough day, Johnson was held two laps on pit road for having too many men over the wall while his crew worked under the damaged vehicle policy.

Truex Jr. was told to save gas towards the end of stage two because they did not put enough fuel in the car. He was able to make it to the green/white checkered flag as Ryan Blaney won his second stage of the race.

Stage Two:

  1. Ryan Blaney
  2. Joey Logano
  3. Denny Hamlin
  4. Kurt Busch
  5. Kevin Harvick
  6. Martin Truex Jr.
  7. Chase Elliott
  8. Aric Almirola
  9. Erik Jones
  10. Kyle Busch

 

As the final stage began, the action picked up when Almirola got into Kyle Busch. Busch spun around collecting Truex Jr., William Byron and Chris Buescher. This brought out the fifth caution as well as a red flag. While slowing down for the caution, Jimmie Johnson hit the back bumper of Ty Dillon causing damage to both vehicles.

John Hunter Nemechek was the cause of the sixth caution when he spun around on the backstretch.

Lap 250 brought trouble to Ty Dillon, he got into the side of William Byron and backed into the outside wall in turn two.

With 29 laps to go, Quin Houff took a hard hit into the outside wall after making contact with Christopher Bell while he was trying to pit. This caution allowed the 14 cars who haven’t pit to make their way down pit road.

Blaney and Denny Hamlin both had to pit under green, so they took the wave-around under this yellow and started behind all the others who pitted under the caution.

When the race looked like it was falling into Austin Dillon’s hands, Denny Hamlin got into Alex Bowman; this wreck ended Bowman’s day.

Ten laps later, Hamlin brought out another caution. This time he got loose coming off of turn four and spun through the infield grass. Setting up for a green/white/checker finish for the second week in a row.

After a NASCAR Overtime, Austin Dillon was able to hold off a charging Tyler Reddick to win his first race of the 2020 season.

Ryan Blaney, who dominated most of the race, finished seventh after leading 150 laps.

Results:

  1. Austin Dillon
  2. Tyler Reddick
  3. Joey Logano
  4. Kyle Busch
  5. Kevin Harvick
  6. Erik Jones
  7. Ryan Blaney
  8. Kurt Busch
  9. Brad Keselowski
  10. Aric Alimrola

 

The next race for the NASCAR Cup Series will be the Super Start 400 Presented by O’Reilly Auto Parts. Catch all the action from Kansas on Thursday, July 23rd at 7:30pm EST on NBCSN.

Josh Slate