Austin Dillon became the second driver in as many races to solidify his position in the upcoming NASCAR Cup playoffs, winning Sunday’s Cup race at Texas Motor Speedway.
It was Dillon’s third career Cup win and broke an 88-race winless streak for him. Richard Childress Racing teammate Tyler Reddick finished second (and also was the highest-finishing Cup rookie).
It’s the first time RCR drivers have finished 1-2 since Clint Bowyer and Jeff Burton turned the trick in 2011 at Talladega.
Joey Logano finished third Sunday, followed by Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick.
With the win, Dillon jumped from the 17th playoff position to lock himself into the playoffs. Johnson drops to 16th, the final playoff-eligible spot. Johnson’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron, who finished 37th Sunday after wrecking, dropped out of the top 16 playoff positions to 17th, two points below the cutoff line.
Dillon joined last week’s winner at Kentucky, Cole Custer, as securing their spots not only in the playoffs but also gained in the overall standings.