Richard Childress Racing has announced a number of changes to its competition personnel ahead of the trip to Martinsville Speedway. The most significant change is the appointment of Austin Dillon’s new crew chief for the remainder of the season, as Justin Alexander returns to the No. 3 pit box, replacing Keith Rodden.
Rodden is set to take on a larger role across the organization in order to enhance the performance of RCR’s cars. Alexander has previously served as Dillon’s crew chief and helped Dillon secure a Coca-Cola 600 win in their first race together in 2017. He also remained on the pit box in 2018 when Dillon won the Daytona 500 and was in charge when Dillon won at Texas in 2020 and Daytona in 2022, securing a spot for Dillon in the NASCAR Playoffs.
Joel Keller has been named lead engineer of the No. 3 team, another important role that will help improve RCR’s overall performance this season. These changes were made with an eye towards enhancing RCR’s NASCAR Cup Series program and securing two teams in the playoffs, according to Andy Petree, executive vice president for RCR.
As they head into Martinsville Speedway, Dillon is currently ranked 28th in the Cup standings with just one top-20 finish coming from his 16th place finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway earlier this season. However, these changes are expected to have a positive impact on his performance and help him secure a better position come race day at Martinsville.
