On Friday, Richard Childress Racing and Bass Pro Shops announced that the outdoors retailer will return as a multi-race primary sponsor for Austin Dillon and the No. 3 NASCAR Cup Series team during the 2023 season.
The initial announcement from RCR came in the form of a video posted to Twitter.
NEWS: @BassProShops returns as a multi-race partner on @austindillon3's No. 3 Chevrolet this season. pic.twitter.com/mUi46mKtNd
— RCR (@RCRracing) January 20, 2023
While the initial announcement hasn’t shed light on the full schedule for the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops paint scheme, the announcement did reveal a bold new look for the car and it’s just good to see the partnership continue for another season.
Dillon, the 32-year-old grandson of team owner Richard Childress, has flown the Bass Pro Shops colors in 48 races throughout his NASCAR Cup Series career including 13 points-paying races in 2022.
One of Dillon’s four-career NASCAR Cup Series victories came with Bass Pro Shops on the hood of his race car in the 2020 event at Texas Motor Speedway, which secured his place in the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs that season.
Overall, Dillon has made the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs in five of the last seven seasons. His latest Playoff berth was secured this past season in a dramatic victory at Daytona International Speedway.
For the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season, Dillon will have a new crew chief atop the pit box in Keith Rodden. Rodden was announced as the successor to Justin Alexander in late October.
Alexander was promoted to the team’s director of vehicle performance for the 2023 season.
Dillon, a North Carolina native, will look to improve upon his 11th-place points ranking from the 2022 season, a year which saw him record a win, five top-five finishes, and 11 top-10s.
*Editor’s note: This story will be updated when a full sponsorship schedule is released, or any other details on the multi-race partnership between RCR and Bass Pro Shops is revealed.