Austin Dillon
A third-generation NASCAR champion who revived his grandfather's iconic number 3 car and won the Daytona 500, cementing his family's racing dynasty.
Born 1990 (age 36)·American racing driver·Birthday: April 27·Millennials
Biography
Austin Dillon drives the No. 3 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing, the team owned by his grandfather. He grew up at the track but earned his way through NASCAR's lower divisions, winning the Camping World Truck Series championship in 2011 and the Xfinity Series title in 2013. Those championships silenced doubts about nepotism. In 2014 he moved to the Cup Series, taking over the No. 3 car that Dale Earnhardt made famous and that had been retired for thirteen years after Earnhardt's death. Dillon put that number back in victory lane by winning the 2017 Coca-Cola 600, then captured the sport's biggest prize with a win in the 2018 Daytona 500. He has qualified for the playoffs in multiple seasons since. Dillon represents both the Childress racing legacy and a newer generation of drivers who combine on-track performance with business acumen. He was born in 1990 in Lewisville, North Carolina.
Millennials
1981–1996
The first digital natives. Grew up with the internet, came of age during 9/11 and the 2008 crash. Highly educated, deeply indebted, slower to marry and buy houses. Redefined work, identity, and what it means to be an adult.
Austin was born in 1990, placing them squarely in the Millennials. The events that shaped this generation — the internet revolution, 9/11, and the 2008 financial crisis — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Austin Was Born
The biggest hits of 1990
#1 Movie
Home Alone
Best Picture
Dances with Wolves
#1 TV Show
Roseanne
Austin's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1990Born
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1995Started school
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2003Became a teenager
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2006Could drive
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2008Could vote
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2011Turned 21
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2020Turned 30
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 36 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the 2018 Daytona 500, NASCAR's most prestigious race, driving the historic No. 3 car.
- Captured the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship in 2013 and the NASCAR Truck Series championship in 2011.
- Earned the 2022 All-Star Race victory at Texas Motor Speedway, winning a million-dollar prize.
- Became the third driver to win a NASCAR Cup Series race in the No. 3 car after Dale Earnhardt and Ricky Rudd.
Did You Know?
He won the 2011 Truck Series championship with a black No. 3 truck nicknamed 'The Hornady Bullet.'
Dillon is an avid hunter and outdoorsman, frequently featuring his pursuits on social media.
He played college baseball as a pitcher at High Point University before focusing fully on racing.
His signature victory celebration is a celebratory bow, which he calls 'The Dillon Bow.'
““Driving the 3 car is an honor and a privilege, and there’s a lot of responsibility that comes with it.””
