NASCAR has made the shocking decision to cancel Austin Dillon’s automatic entry into the 16-driver NASCAR Cup Series playoff, following his moves on the final lap at Richmond Raceway. Dillon turned Joey Logano and then hooked Denny Hamlin in order to win the race and was under the impression that this secured his spot in the playoffs. However, NASCAR has ruled that Dillon cannot use this win for automatic playoff entry, a decision they maintain is in compliance with their rules. Dillon has also been docked 25 points and his spotter, Brandon Benesch, suspended for three races. Additionally, NASCAR has fined Logano $50,000 for smoking his tires while driving past Dillon’s team and family after the race.
The rule that NASCAR has cited in their decision states that in order to be eligible for playoffs, race finishes cannot violate NASCAR rules or be in any way detrimental to stock car auto racing or NASCAR. Dillon’s aggressive driving on the final lap was deemed to cross the line, hence the penalty. Dillon’s team, RCR, are planning to appeal the decision, finding it unjust, and expect a decision from NASCAR’s appeals panel before the regular-season finale on September 1 at Darlington.
Elton Sawyer, NASCAR’s Senior Vice President of Competition, expressed the importance of maintaining the integrity of the playoffs, and explained that they thought Dillon’s moves from Turn 3 to the finish were in violation of this integrity. Although the consideration was made to strip Dillon of his win altogether, the absence of a clear and applicable rule in the NASCAR rule book prevented this from happening. Instead, they opted for the penalties of 25 points and three-race suspension for Dillon’s spotter, Brandon Benesch.
Assuming Dillon does not succeed in his appeal, he will need to win one of the final three races of the regular-season to secure a spot in the playoff field. His chances are slim since he currently stands 26th in the series with no realistic hopes of making the playoffs based on points alone. During what would otherwise have been a turning point in a lackluster season, Dillon found himself wrapped up in the dramatic final laps, with Logano and Hamlin essentially accusing him of deliberately wrecking them for position.
The final incident began when Logano got a good jump on the restart and appeared to be set to fend off Dillon, who then turned his car into Logano’s. As Hamlin took the opportunity to duck inside, Dillon hooked him at the rear. Dillon has defended himself, stating that his actions were reactions to the evolving situation and he did not intentionally turn Hamlin. NASCAR is currently reviewing race data and team communications to determine if Dillon defied their rules on aggressive driving.
The unprecedented penalties have sparked debates in the NASCAR community that are yet to be resolved. However, one immediate outcome of Dillon’s disqualification from an automatic playoff berth is that there are now four open playoff spots that will go to a non-winning driver during the regular season. As a result, the bubble margins for drivers Chris Buescher and Ross Chastain tied for the fourth spot among winless drivers have not changed. For fans and participants alike, this dramatic turn of events adds a whole new level of suspense to the upcoming races.
