NASCAR’s decision to penalize Austin Dillon for his final lap conduct during the Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway where he controversially wrecked opponents Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano to clinch a win has ignited intense reactions across the motorsport community. Richard Childress Racing (RCR) announced its determination to appeal the penalty, a move that has sparked a short and snappy response from Hamlin.
Dillon was stripped of his playoff eligibility from the win at Richmond, docked 25 driver and owner points and his spotter was suspended for three Cup Series races for encouraging the wreck. Elton Sawyer, NASCAR’s Senior Vice President of Competition, commented in the report from NASCAR:
“I think in all due respect to the appeal process, we looked at this and the totality of everything that happened as you enter Turn 3 and as the cars got to the start/finish line.
“So, as we look through all of that data, we came to the conclusion that a line had been crossed. Our sport has been based going for many, many years, forever, on good, hard racing. Contact has been acceptable. We felt like, in this case, that the line was crossed.”
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Sawyer also noted:
“If you look at at the crew chief and you look at the spotter, and view them as calming voices in the driver’s ear, in this case, we just felt like we’ve all listened to the audio.
“We know exactly what was said. We just felt like that that’s not what we need spotters doing. That’s not what we need (from a) crew chief sitting on the box. They’re a calming voice to what the situation is in front of them, and they’re supposed to be spotting for the race, not making comments like were made, as we all know.”
RCR posted to X in response to the appeal:
“Richard Childress Racing is very disappointed in NASCAR’s penalty against the No. 3 team. We do not agree with the decision that was made and plan to appeal.”
Richard Childress Racing is very disappointed in NASCAR’s penalty against the No. 3 team. We do not agree with the decision that was made and plan to appeal.
— RCR (@RCRracing) August 14, 2024
Responding to RCR’s announcement to appeal, Hamlin voiced his frustration with the team’s stance and Dillon’s actions on the track with a pointed tweet:
“Not as disappointed as I was off turn 4.”
Hamlin has already voiced his frustration since the race, explaining, as quoted by Autosport:
“I knew the #3 [Dillon] was going to do something silly in [Turn] 3. I saw him driving in. He wasn’t going to stop until he hit the #22 [Logano].
“We’re trying to manufacture these types of moments and when we do it and we look silly like tonight [when] your sport has mud on its face.
“But I think there are probably people in Daytona [NASCAR headquarters] who love this sh*t and they’re the ones who are sending this sport backwards.
“It’s obviously [a] foul. It’s fair in NASCAR. We’re just a different league, right? There are no penalties for rough driving or anything like that. It opens up the opportunity for Austin to be able to just do whatever he wants.”