Austin Dillon is one of the busiest men you’ll ever meet. He lives the life of a professional athlete: wake up, train, media, sponsors, repeat. He carves out time for his two young kids and wife, Whitney, but his professional career keeps him moving as fast as the cars he drives.
The difference? Dillon doesn’t have a pit crew to refill his tank, so to speak. One place that does have that effect for him, however, is the outdoors.
Dillon is an avid hunter and fisherman, leaning on that time not for the thrill — he gets enough of that on the racetrack — but to find peace in his 200 mph world.
Austin Dillon Family Traditions
Dillon discovered his passion for the outdoors much like many others have—through his grandfather, Richard Childress. Dillon says Childress introduced him, his brother Ty and his dad to hunting.
Dillon shot his first deer when he was seven, but he started spending time outdoors at a much younger age.
This passion for the outdoors has become a tradition in their family, one Dillon has passed down to his children.
“It’s a family tradition at this point. I took my son Ace [hunting] last year, got him in his first deer stand,” Dillon explained. “It’s what we love to do.”
Dillon sees giving his kids these childhood memories as a gift, just like it was for him when he was their age. Even with the smell of burnt rubber calling to Dillon in his youth, the pull of the outdoors was just as strong.
He fondly recalls those outdoor memories from his childhood, recognizing the significant role they played in shaping who he is today—teaching him lessons he feels grateful to have learned.
These lessons are part of the family tradition he wants to pass down to his children. Dillon remembers a trip to British Columbia with his grandfather when he was young, how it changed him and how he hopes his kids will experience the same.
“I want my kids to do that, too,” he said. “I want them to experience the backwoods life because every minute out there, it made me grow up. You don’t feel soft when you get back from a hunt in British Columbia at 12 years old, when you’re hiking up mountains in the rain and snow.
“That kind of shaped who I am as a competitor, going on some of those tough hunts with my grandpa when I was a kid.”
Childress is a consistent figure in Dillon’s outdoor stories. As an avid outdoorsman himself, Richard Childress has traveled the world to experience the outdoors everywhere he can, bringing Austin and his brother along with him whenever possible.
Grizzlies, Goats And Growing Up With Grandfather Richard Childress
Dillon cherishes those childhood experiences, but they weren’t all warm and fuzzy. He recalls one foundational moment from that trip to B.C. that he looks back on fondly now, but certainly didn’t have that ring to it when he was a young man.
“12 years old, carrying around a .300 Win. Mag., had gotten a caribou, but my grandfather had tags for grizzly bears,” Dillon recalled.
His grandfather split off with the other guide at one point during the hunt, so Dillon went off with the other, a burly man named Billy, who Austin said was built the way his name suggests—like a Billy goat.
They picked their way through the mountain terrain, tracking a mountain goat, when Billy stopped after seeing what he’d been looking for.
“He pointed halfway up the next mountain at two grizzly bears, pretty far off,” Dillon said. “He said, ‘Man, that’s what your grandfather is after. I’m gonna run the two of them down and see if he wants to go after them.'”
Billy then instructed Dillon to go down to the creek bottom between the two mountains and wait there. Many of us have been in a situation like this, where your dad tells you to stay put during a hunt for safety reasons; however, the biggest concern at that moment was mosquitoes — not the grizzly bear you just saw with your own two eyes.
“I read the book Hatchet when I was a kid, and I’m glad I read the book because the biggest rule I remembered from it was stay put,” Dillon recalled. “I got down there by the creek, and 30 minutes felt like two days. I’d already planned out what I was going to do with my six bullets I had with me, I remember it vividly.”
Fortunately for Dillon, this story didn’t last as long as Hatchet. Billy and Dillon’s grandfather returned, grabbed him, and they went on to take down a mountain goat to go along with the caribou.
Hunting With Purpose
These stories are foundational for Dillon; they helped him grow his appreciation for hunting beyond just banging around in the woods looking for trophies.
You wouldn’t expect a professional athlete with such a busy schedule to care about the small details of hunting, but Dillon is a true outdoorsman, attentive to every aspect of the process.
“I love the setup, man,” Dillon explained. “I love putting a stand together and playing out the wind, figuring out where the deer are going to come from and finding where I’m going to have a clean shot.”
This love for hunting and the outdoors is something Dillon recognizes goes both ways. He knows that to preserve his outdoor family tradition, he must focus on conservation efforts so there will still be an outdoors for his kids to pass on to their children.
“To pass on these traditions that we talk about and love so much, we’ve got to do our jobs as hunters to educate about wildlife, conservation and preserving it for our kids, grandkids, and future hunters and fishermen of the world,” Dillon said.
Dillon puts these values into practice as well. He and his grandfather’s relationship with Johnny Morris, CEO of Bass Pro Shops, highlights how important conservation is to them and their lives, but their involvement extends beyond that.
Both are actively engaged with a variety of conservation foundations and programs, highlighted by the Congressional Sportsman’s Foundation, where Childress has served as chairman and again as a board member over the years.
This dedication to the outdoors and conservation highlights Dillon’s selfless commitment to the world around him, as he continually works to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to share his enjoyment of the natural world.
“It’s all about conservation and having the ability to hunt with your kids one day,” Dillon explained.
Racing Meets Carolina Cowboys Rodeo
That same hands-on, all-in approach Dillon brings to the outdoors shows up in more than just hunting. He brings it to the Carolina Cowboys, a professional bull riding team, where Dillon is the general manager.
Dillon has demonstrated a deep commitment to the organization, helping them reach the PBR championship in 2024. This isn’t just a business venture for Dillon; he’s a dedicated and involved manager who strives to do everything possible to help the team succeed.
After their second-place finish in the 2024 season, Dillon wrote a letter reflecting on the Cowboys’ year, specifically highlighting individual team members and their contributions.
This is an unexpected move from a GM with the number of commitments Dillon has, but it shows his investment in every relationship he’s a part of.
Respect for Those Who Serve
Dillon’s deep appreciation for his personal blessings extends to his patriotic values as well. He doesn’t take the sacrifices our veterans make lightly, emphasizing his gratitude for the men and women who give their all so we can do what we love.
“If you can’t get behind our men and women, our soldiers, who give us the freedom to do what we love each and every day, I just don’t know who you are,” Dillon said.
This comment shows Dillon’s passion, but RCR’s involvement with military and veteran-focused programs proves that this value system extends throughout the entire organization.
RCR partners with Toys for Tots, a Marine Corps-founded program that brings holiday joy to children in need, and Helping a Hero, a nonprofit organization that builds specially adapted homes for severely wounded veterans, providing them independence and stability after their service.
For Dillon and RCR, supporting programs like Toys for Tots and Helping a Hero goes beyond appearances; it’s a reflection of the values they live by.
By giving back to children and honoring veterans, they reinforce the same principles of gratitude, community and service that Dillon embodies in everything he’s a part of.
Whether it’s hunting in the backwoods, leading a bull-riding team or honoring America’s heroes, Dillon lives by the same principles: hard work, gratitude and investing in the people and communities around him.
These core values define him not only as a competitor, but as a father, a leader, and a man committed to leaving things better than he found them.
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