NASCAR will additional study if to penalize Austin Dillon for wrecking two drivers on the ultimate lap to win Sunday night time’s Cup race at Richmond Raceway and safe a spot within the playoffs, a collection official stated after the race.
Elton Sawyer, senior vp of competitors, stated Sunday night time that officers will take a deeper dive into the final lap.
Austin Dillon made contact with Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin on the ultimate lap of extra time to snap a 68-race winless streak.
Dillon bumped into the again of Joey Logano between Turns 3 and 4 on the ultimate lap and turned Logano, sending him into the wall. That allowed Denny Hamlin to get by Dillon, however Dillon hit Hamlin’s proper rear. That despatched Hamlin into the wall and Dillon to the win — his first since August 2022 at Daytona.
Logano after Prepare dinner Out 400: ‘It is a bunch of B.S.’
Joey Logano holds nothing again after the tip of the Prepare dinner Out 400, the place Austin Dillon spun him round within the closing lap to win in Richmond.
“Our sport has been a contact sport for a very long time,” Sawyer advised reporters after the race. “We all the time hear ‘The place’s the road and did somebody cross the road?’
“I’d say that the final lap was terrible near the road. We’ll check out all of the accessible assets from audio to video. The spotters, we’ll take heed to, crew chiefs and drivers and if something rises to a degree that we really feel like we have to penalize, then we’ll do this on Tuesday.”
Paul Wolfe says last-lap strikes at Richmond Raceway have been unprofessional.
Requested if any NASCAR penalty may embody taking the win away from Dillon, Sawyer advised reporters: “Traditionally, that hasn’t been our DNA to take races away, however that’s to not say that going ahead this wouldn’t begin to set a precedent of do we now have to take a look at it.”
NASCAR let Dillon’s strikes stand Sunday night time and he was scored the winner. Hamlin completed second and Logano nineteenth.
Hamlin: “Completely a line was crossed”
Denny Hamlin talks about getting taken out on the finish of the Prepare dinner Out 400 and why he understands what Austin Dillon did.
Requested if collection officers initially didn’t see Dillon crossing a line together with his actions, Sawyer stated: “It occurred quick, however if you happen to have a look at that, in my opinion, that’s getting proper up actually near crossing the road.”
Sawyer later advised reporters: “I believe we now have to study from the incident (Sunday night time) and transfer ahead and see if there’s one thing that … racing within the period that we race in at the moment and the way in which our younger youngsters are developing racing briefly tracks, we need to be sure that the very best degree of racing, which is NASCAR Cup Sequence, it’s achieved on the highest degree and it’s achieved with probably the most integrity and sportsmanship and that’s what we’re about. We’ll see if we have to modify accordingly.”
Automotive proprietor Richard Childress, who received six championships with Dale Earnhardt as his driver, defended Dillon’s actions Sunday.
“Quick observe racing is brief observe racing,” Childress stated in response to a query from NBC Sports activities’ Nate Ryan. “You’re going to see it. I’ve seen it greater than as soon as. … When it comes all the way down to the tip of the day, any of those guys do what it takes to win the race there on the very finish.”
Dillon: ‘Typically, you simply obtained to have it’
Austin Dillon talks about his victory at Richmond Raceway and whether or not his transfer within the closing lap was truthful.
Dillon was requested after the race about his spotter saying to “run him down, wreck him” in these frantic closing seconds of the occasion.
“At that time I’m elbows up, holding the throttle down, simply attempting to get to the beginning/end line actually,” Dillon stated. “I’m sideways off of (Flip) 4 ‘trigger I’m already three-quarters of the lane up the observe, hammer the gasoline.
“I’m simply wanting initially/end line. That’s it. I ain’t listening to (expletive) at that time, you recognize? Your eyes flip pink. You see pink, you get to the tip of the race.
“Daytona, final lap after I received there on the 500, your eyes see pink. There’s one factor in your thoughts: get to the beginning/end line first, interval. Irrespective of if anyone got here on the radio, it doesn’t matter. Like, you’ve gotten one job to do, it’s to get to the beginning/end line first. … Lots of people lose their jobs as a result of they don’t get to the beginning/end line first.”
After the race, Logano stopped on pit street close to Dillon’s crew and throttled up, doing a short burnout with individuals close by. Requested if Logano may face any penalties, Sawyer stated: “We’ll have a look at every little thing that occurred on the final lap and post-race and see if any penalties should be issued.”