Through the last lap of final weekend’s NASCAR Prepare dinner Out 400 at Richmond, Richard Childress Racing driver (and grandson of Childress) Austin Dillon unceremoniously dumped race chief Joey Logano, and hooked Denny Hamlin into the wall. All of this bash-em-up was finished in an effort to come back to the checkered flag first, which Dillon did. He was thirty second in factors going into the race weekend, and wanted to win a race with a view to make the collection playoffs. The transfer was a transparent act of desperation for the RCR driver, who has gone winless since August 0f 2022.
In my private race fan view of the crash, it was an actual chickenshit strategy to win a race. NASCAR’s custom of not revoking race wins, even over probably harmful conduct like this, introduced it into actuality. The tradition throughout the group, with one crew member telling their driver to take the win “I don’t care the way you do it” and the spotter shouting “Wreck him! Wreck him!,” are regarding, if unfit of penalty by itself.
After deliberating what it might do for 3 days, NASCAR lastly issued its ruling on Wednesday. The collection likes to, because it have been, let followers go house figuring out who received. That’s a manner of claiming that it doesn’t revoke race victories. Dillon, nonetheless, was severely penalized for his actions. Richard Childress Racing has misplaced all eligibility for the group house owners’ championship, which it wasn’t threatening to win anyway, however extra importantly the group and Dillon himself, have been docked 25 championship factors, and Dillon’s win is not going to rely towards postseason eligibility. The spotter has been suspended for the subsequent three races.
Denny Hamlin, the driving force Dillon was instructed to wreck, has known as for NASCAR to take away spotters from the collection altogether on the Door Bumper Clear podcast.
“I’m beginning to be increasingly more within the boat of do away with these silly spotters, man.
“[You] may not prefer it, and I do know it’ll by no means occur, and you’ll’t as a result of we now have superspeedways and it’s a security factor. However they’ve obtained to close the f*** up, man. They do, they’re not driving the automotive.”
Within the NASCAR rulebook for playoff eligibility, it states “[r]ace finishes have to be unincumbered by violations of the NASCAR guidelines, or different actions detrimental to inventory automotive racing, or NASCAR, as decided within the sole discretion of NASCAR.” In easy phrases, Dillon fucked round and now he’s discovering out.
I’m glad the collection truly had the will and talent to set this improper proper, and punish Austin Dillon for his actions.
NASCAR additionally fined Joey Logano for his pissed off actions in pit lane following the end. As Dillon’s crew have been working throughout pit lane to rejoice with their driver, Logano was coming all the way down to his pit field after having been punted from near-certain race victory. Along with driving too near individuals in his manner, he romped on the throttle close to employees and NASCAR officers in a manner that might be construed as threatening. He can pay a $50,000 superb for his actions.
