Rookie a Wildcard at Vegas

Article Written By: Chris Caraveo

If you don’t believe in coincidences, feel free to hassle me when Austin Dillon is not in Victory Lane this Sunday at Las Vegas.

However, after the first two weeks of the year, I have to think that coincidence may play a role in Dillon winning.

First off, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. won the Daytona 500 in the first race since the 3 car has returned to the Sprint Cup Series. The following week Kevin Harvick dominated at Phoenix. Harvick was also the driver who replaced the late Dale Earnhardt but donned the No. 29 throughout his Richard Childress Racing career instead of the 3.

But Earnhardt, Jr. and Harvick both ran competitive races, so their wins were nowhere near flukes or coincidences by themselves. And the best car won each race.

Now it’s Week Three. I will go out on a limb and say that Dillon—driving the No. 3—wins this week at Las Vegas. His record there is decent. In two Nationwide Series races he finished seventh in 2012 and sixth in 2013. He also earned his second Camping World Truck Series win there in 2010.

Dillon’s first two races this season (9th at Daytona and 24th at Phoenix) do not tell too much about how he will fare on Sunday. He was so-so in the opener and struggled the next week.

He is not my favorite to win, but I’ll consider him as a wildcard by the time the green flag waves.