RELATED: Austin Dillon’s career stats

LAS VEGAS — One goal down, another (more loftier) one to go.

Richard Childress Racing driver Austin Dillon checked off a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victory in 2017 when he won the prestigious Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway and advanced to the playoffs for the second consecutive year.

Next up? A deep run in the postseason for the No. 3 team.

“I have much higher goals I want to set,” Dillon told NASCAR.com during Champion’s Week in Las Vegas. “We got our win, and that was huge. That was one goal I had last year. Going into next year, (Championship 4) is my goal.

“I love how we finished the year as far as a consistent team. We were a consistent threat at the end of the year and had consistent finishes. Our goal is the Championship 4.”

Dillon finished 11th in the final standings in 2017. After being eliminated from the Monster Energy Series Playoffs prior to the Round of 12, he ended the year with the following finishes in the final five races: 14th, 13th, 13th, 14th and 11th.

With Chevrolet bringing out the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for 2018 and Richard Childress hiring former crew chief Andy Petree back into the organization, Dillon says it’s time for his team to make a big jump.

RELATED: Petree on RCR’s potential

“I’m confident in the team that we have and our core group of guys,” Dillon said. “We’re not losing anyone next year, and that’s a positive, too.

“It’s fun working with Andy. He’s brought a little bit of a new vibe into the shop. I think he’s uplifting. He sees there’s a lot of potential with what we’ve got.”