Austin Dillon gets new crew chief for NASCAR weekend at Richmond

Austin Dillon will have a different crew chief this weekend at Richmond International Raceway, with Richard Childress Racing naming Sammy Johns to lead Dillon’s No. 3 team.

Johns, RCR’s operations director, is filling for Slugger Labbe, who remains back at RCR’s headquarters in Welcome, N.C., where he is focusing on next weekend’s race at Talladega Superspeedway.

The temporary move coincides with consecutive races where Dillon’s Chevrolet had issues on the track and passing technical inspection. The No. 3 car suffered an unusual rear suspension failure even before the race went green at Texas Motor Speedway, necessitating Dillon going to the garage for extensive repairs. Last week, it took the team five attempts to pass the Laser Inspection Station at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Because of the repeated inspection violations, NASCAR announced Friday the No. 3 team would lose 30 minutes of practice at Richmond. Additionally, Dillon forfeits pit stall selection and will have to start from the rear of the 38-car field for Sunday’s Toyota Owners 400 regardless of where he qualifies.

A RCR spokesperson would not comment if Labbe would return to the crew chief position at Talladega, according to NBC Sports.

Labbe joined RCR to work with driver Paul Menard in 2010. The two won the Brickyard 400 in 2011 and Menard posted a career-best 15.5 average finish the following season. In 2014, Labbe shifted to a behind-the-scenes role with RCR at the end of the season, but returned to being a crew chief when he was paired with Dillon halfway through the 2015 season.

With Labbe leading the team, Dillon had a breakthrough season last year. The 27-year-old driver set career highs in top-five finishes, top 10s, average finish and earned his first playoff berth.

But the No. 3 season has struggled this season, with Dillon having just a single top 10 through eight races. He is ranked 21st in points entering Richmond.