NASCAR insider Jeff Gluck of The Athletic is calling Winchester/Bass Pro Shops driver Austin Dillon’s Richmond Raceway win the first “real upset” of the season. Gluck said in no uncertain terms, “...This was a true playoff-spot-stealing victory. We’re two races to go in the regular season, and this is really shaking things up, for the first time, I feel like, this year.”
Austin Dillon, driver of the No.3 Bass Pro Shops/Winchester Deer Season XP Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing, took first place in the Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway in Richmond, Virginia. Dillon led for an impressive 107 out of 400 laps to secure his second consecutive victory in the Cook Out 400.
Off To The NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs
Dillon’s latest victory has locked him in as a contender in the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, which are contested over the final 10 races of the season. The regular Cup Series season will conclude after the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, August 23.
Austin Dillon drove the No.3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet featuring a special paint scheme that included Winchester Ammunition and Deer Season XP, a flagship rifle product that is specifically engineered for deer hunting. Fans will see the Winchester Deer Season XP paint scheme in three more upcoming races.
Austin Dillon’s Broken Rib “Hunting Room” Accident
Hook & Barrel couldn’t be happier about Austin Dillon’s Cook Out 400 win at Richmond this weekend, which earned him a spot in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. Making the playoffs is incredible news for any team, but it’s especially sweet for Dillon. He won this same race last season but was kept out of the playoffs due to a controversial penalty from NASCAR that denied him a playoff berth. This year, Dillon made sure there was no chance of being kept out of the postseason, winning by a comfortable 2.47-second margin.
The interesting part? Dillon won this race on a broken rib — an injury that anyone who has experienced one knows would be a challenge. With all the bumping and jostling during these races, it’s impressive that Dillon can even drive, let alone win.
The funniest — or maybe the most ironic — part, however, is how Dillon broke the rib. Hook & Barrel got the chance to talk to Austin this week, as we’re prepping to feature Austin Dillon in the “Wild Life” column of our November-December 2025 print issue, and he shared some inside details on what happened. Dillon was in his “hunting room” to begin some prep work for upcoming deer seasons. He was trying to get his bow case down from a ladder, and he missed a step.
The bow case hit the ground first, and Dillon landed on top of it. Anyone with a sturdy bow case knows the last thing they want is to fall onto one the wrong way, much less off a ladder. “I wish I had a soft case now,” Dillon said, laughing. Don’t miss the November-December issue! Be sure to subscribe to Hook & Barrel Magazine, today!
Load Up For Fall Whitetails With Deer Season XP
Winchester Deer Season XP is celebrating 10 years as the most accurate and lethal bullet for deer hunting. For a decade, Deer Season XP has been the choice of deer hunters looking to fill their tags. There are currently 24 different caliber/grain options in the Deer Season XP line.
Deer hunters everywhere rely on the Extreme Point bullet’s oversized impact diameter — bigger tip, bigger impact! The larger impact diameter means more impact trauma, better energy transfer, and larger wound cavities for faster knockdown.
Accuracy comes from the round’s streamlined profile and large polymer tip. Features like the contoured jacket with tapered profile and alloyed lead core aid in rapid bullet expansion and terminal penetration. Get loaded up for any season today, by visiting winchester.com!
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