Dillon loses NASCAR Playoff spot

Austin Dillon has kept his controversial Richmond NASCAR Cup Series win, but his ticket to the Playoffs has been stripped.

Dillon took victory in the Cook Out 400 in surreal circumstances where he took out both Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin in the run to the chequered flag.

The Richard Childress Racing driver first deliberately spun leader Joey Logano at Turn 3, having gone deep and rammed the rear of the Mustang from a long way back.

The aftermath opened up an opportunity for Hamlin to charge down the inside, only for the #3 to make further contact with the rear right of the #11, sending the Joe Gibbs Racing veteran hard into the wall.

Dillon emerged out of all the chaos to take a first win in two years and shot from 32nd in the points to the Playoffs as a result.

But instantly his rivals questioned his actions, with Hamlin believing the sport would have “mud on its face” to leave it unpenalised and now NASCAR has taken a firm stance.

Whilst Dillon’s fifth win stands, he has lost his Playoffs berth and also been docked 25 points.

However, if Dillon does win one of the three final races before the Playoffs he can still go through.

Dillon’s spotter Brandon Beseech has also been suspended for the next three races having instructed the #3 to “wreck him” as Hamlin was approached on the inside.

It is not the first time a Playoffs spot has been revoked with Martin Truex Jr being stripped of his after the “spin gate” fiasco took place at the same circuit 11 years ago.

On that occasion his Michael Waltrip Racing teammates Clint Bowyer and Brian Vickers purposely spun and pitted respectively to allow True Jr to get into the Playoffs.

NASCAR senior vice president of competition, Elton Sawyer said a “line had been crossed” by Dillon and RCR.

“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,” Sawyer said. 

“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.”

However, RCR has already announced its intent to appeal the decision, which will be held at a TBC date.

“Richard Childress Racing is very disappointed in NASCAR’s penalty against the No. 3 team,” the team said on social media.

“We do not agree with the decision that was made and plan to appeal.”

RCR and Dillon are not the only ones penalised from it all with Logano also being fined $50,000 USD for staging a dangerous burnout on pit road in front of the RCR area.

Logano’s outburst forced spectators, RCR crew members and Dillon’s family and friends to jump back before an official stopped the angry Penske driver.

Dillon has reacted to the aftermath on the Dale Jr Download podcast and admitted he was “expecting” a penalty.

“I’m expecting something, obviously,” he said of NASCAR’s decision. 

“As far as my spotter, I talked to him, and I truly think that emotions were really high for us.

“We have been beat up and banged up for a while now, and with two laps to go we had a three-second lead at Richmond, and a caution comes out. 

“Now we’re here talking about things that take away from the car that we really had.

“From our spotter, I believe he became a fan in the stands on the last lap of Austin Dillon and RCR. 

“He was just saying what came to his mind in the moment and it was wrong. I’m sure there’s going to be something from that.

“But what he was saying didn’t change what happened in Turns 3 and 4. 

“I’m driving at that point for all it’s worth and he’s just keying the mic, talking. 

“I know he’s bummed about that, but he’s had my back through a lot of the rough patches that we’ve had. 

“I can’t fault him for being a fan at that moment.”

Image: Motorsport Images

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