LOUDON -- Outside his hauler, Austin Dillon is surrounded by a group of eager fans hoping for his autograph — or at least a chance to get a good look at him.

With practice about to start, Dillon signs a couple of hats for Nancy Bottcher and her daughter, then climbs back into his hauler to gear up.

“I'll get the rest of you guys after practice,” he tells the fans.

“Good luck, Austin!” one man shouts as the door closes and Dillon prepares for another day in the life of a NASCAR driver.

“He's the next big star of NASCAR,” says Bottcher, a 65-year-old NASCAR fan who lives behind the New Hampshire Motor Speedway and was all smiles as she walked away with Dillon's autograph on her hat.

Taking time out to keep fans happy is part of the job when you're a professional race car driver like Dillon, who arrived in New Hampshire on Thursday for an action-packed weekend as the man behind the wheel of Richard Childress Racing's No. 3 AdvoCare Chevrolet Impala.

At 22, Dillon — the grandson of former NASCAR driver and team owner Richard Childress — is already making a name for himself. He was Rookie of the Year in the Camping World Truck Series in 2010 and a year later became the youngest champion to earn the Camping World Truck Series championship before moving up to the Nationwide Series this year.

Dillon spent Friday preparing to race in Saturday's F.W. Webb 200 (which he finished in third place). The day began when he awoke at 8:30 a.m. in his motorcoach, parked at the speedway and ate his bowl of Wheaties Fuel cereal in 1 percent milk with sliced bananas on top. From there, he made his way to the garage, chatted with his crew for a few minutes before a 10 a.m. rookie meeting, then returned to his 53-foot hauler, where he met with the crew again to work out his practice plan.

A longtime John Wayne fan, Dillon wore his Charlie 1 Horse cowboy hat, removing it only when he had to put on his race car helmet. Sometimes he gives his hats away on Twitter, the social networking site he uses daily to keep in touch with his fans.

By 11 a.m., it was time for Dillon to suit up in the hauler lounge for the first practice run. Practice ended by noon, at which point Dillon discussed the run with his team — including a crew chief, a car chief, engineers, an engine tuner, mechanics, a transport driver, a spotter, tire changers and carriers, and a jack man. — then got together with the other two Richard Childress Racing teams to chat.

Dillon found some time to grab lunch in the hauler and talk about the sport and his hopes for the future.

While the days can be long and grueling with weeks spent traveling from track to track, Dillon likes the busy schedule.

“You learn a lot and get to see a lot. I've been fortunate to be able to see a lot of things in a short amount of time, so I enjoy every bit of it,” he said as he ate a plate of spaghetti with homemade sauce and two slices of rosemary olive oil bread prepared by coach driver David Dyckman, who often cooks for Dillon when they're on the road.

Dillon concedes that he gets nervous at times before a race, but nerves never get the best of him.

“When you get in the car, it kills all of that. You feel comfortable. It's your place,” he said.

And then there's the feeling of satisfaction when he has a successful race.

“There's nothing better than that and the fulfillment of running well,” said Dillon, who likes to drive fast on the track but insisted that he's never had a speeding ticket.

Dillon has his eye on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

“We've got some time before we have to be there, and I just want to keep getting better and better each week,” he said.

A supportive fan base also helps build confidence. “I love the fans, and I love being able to interact with them. Our sport allows us to do that. It's very cool to see people coming up to you wanting your autograph,” he said.

Like other drivers, Dillon maintains a healthy diet packed with seafood (he's a big fan of Dyckman's tuna salad), spaghetti, rice, chicken, and avocado. He eats lighter during race weekends and heavier during the week.

“He's not a picky eater. He pretty much eats whatever I fix,” Dyckman said.

He and his crew also need to stay hydrated, especially when temperatures soar into the 90s, as they did this weekend. The asphalt temperature reached 156 degrees when Dillon recently raced at the Kentucky Speedway. On Friday, the asphalt temperature was 128 degrees.

While the heat can be brutal, Dillon said his specialized suit helps to keep him cool when he sweats. The car is also insulated to combat heat.

By 1:40 p.m., Dillon was back in his suit and behind the wheel of No. 3 for his second practice, but as soon as it ended, about 3 p.m., he quickly changed into his black AdvoCare T-shirt, jeans, cowboy hat and boots and headed over to the media center to join drivers Michael Annett, Elliot Sadler and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. for a live interview.

The four were asked about their chances after they qualified as the four eligible drivers vying for the first of four $100,000 bonus payouts in the Nationwide Series Dash 4 Cash program beginning with Saturday's race in New Hampshire.

Dillon was feeling pretty confident about his chances on Friday, and if he won, he said, he was considering getting a swimming pool.

“I kind of want a pool in the back yard or something, especially as hot as it's been this summer,” he said.

The 17-minute interview wrapped up Dillon's day at the track. With work now done, Dillon joined some crew members and headed off to Laconia for dinner at Fratello's Italian Grille.

- - - - - - - -

Jason Schreiber may be reached at jschreiber@newstote.com.