‘It’s chickensh*t:’ Austin Dillon spins Joey Logano and crashes Denny Hamlin to win NASCAR Cup Series race at Richmond
Austin Dillon spun Joey Logano and then crashed Denny Hamlin to get a spot in the playoffs.
Dillon lost the lead to Logano on a green-white-checker restart before spinning Logano on the final lap and hooking Hamlin as Hamlin went for the lead in Turn 4 after Dillon spun Logano.
It was a shameful display of driving by a driver desperate for the playoffs. And though it’s easy to blame Dillon for his actions, the real blame lies with NASCAR as the sanctioning body refuses to consistently enforce driving standards for its drivers.
“I don’t know man, it’s been two years and this is the first car I’ve had a shot to win,” Dillon said when asked if his actions were fair by NBC.
“I felt like with two to go, we were the fastest car … I hate to do that but sometimes you just got to have it. I have to thank the good Lord above. It’s been tough over the last two years, man. I care about [Richard Childress Racing], my wife, and this is my first … it means a lot. I hate it, but I had to do it.”
Logano was quick to call out what Dillon did.
“That’s chickensh*t, there’s no doubt about it,” Logano said. “Four car lengths back, not even close, then he wrecks [Hamlin] to go along with it and he’s going to go up there and praise God and everything with his baby, it’s a bunch of BS, it’s not even close.”
Logano was even more candid when he wasn’t talking to NBC.
According to the Athletic’s Jeff Gluck, Dillon’s actions were even encouraged by his team radio. Dillon is the grandson of his team owner Richard Childress.
Dillon entered Sunday night’s race 32nd in the points standings. His desperation for a victory happened because he needed it to make the postseason. He had no shot of making the playoffs on points and needed a victory over the last four races of the regular season to qualify for the 16-driver playoffs.
He also got some more help from NASCAR too. At the start of the 2023 season, NASCAR rescinded its rule requiring drivers to be in the top 30 in the standings to be eligible for the playoffs. Had the rule been in place, Dillon would be in real jeopardy of making the postseason even with his win.
Instead, he’s in as 13 drivers have victories with three races to go in the regular season.
“Where’s the line? That’s the thing, we have rules against — to prevent ridiculous acts but it’s been a long time since those rules have really been enforced,” Hamlin said. “Didn’t [Truck Series driver Layne Riggs] spin someone out and get a two-lap penalty or some bullsht? This is, it’s tough because this is what the young short track racers see and they think this is OK because they watch the professionals on Sunday that are supposed to act like adults just do dumb sht and it’s amazing that it’s allowed.”
Dillon had legit speed
Let’s get to the nuts and bolts. Dillon had a legitimately fast car that was capable of winning. He was on the way to an easy win before Ricky Stenhouse Jr. spun Ryan Preece ahead of Dillon with two laps to go. That was the race’s only caution that wasn’t for a stage break before Dillon spun Hamlin.
The speed that Dillon showed on Sunday night was real. He passed Hamlin on lap 371 and was sailing to the win before that penultimate caution. But that speed doesn’t erase the stain of what happened on the final lap.
Since NASCAR called a caution when Logano hit the wall, Hamlin is scored in second while Tyler Reddick finished third and Bubba Wallace was fourth with Ross Chastain rounding out the top five.
Martin Truex Jr. started on the front row but finished last because of an engine issue. He’s still safely in the playoff field at the moment, but there are two drivers on the bubble behind him. With three regular season races to go, Wallace and Chastain are in the playoffs, while Chris Buescher would be on the outside.
Race results
- Austin Dillon
- Denny Hamlin
- Tyler Reddick
- Bubba Wallace
- Ross Chastain
- Christopher Bell
- Kyle Larson
- Carson However
- Chase Elliott
- Daniel Suarez
- Ryan Blaney
- Kyle Busch
- William Byron
- Josh Berry
- Michael McDowell
- Brad Keselowski
- Todd Gilliland
- Chris Buescher
- Joey Logano
- Noah Gragson
- Chase Briscoe
- Ty Gibbs
- Zane Smith
- Austin Cindric
- Ryan Preece
- Ty Dillon
- Justin Haley
- Alex Bowman
- Erik Jones
- Daniel Hemric
- John Hunter Nemechek
- Harrison Burton
- Riley Herbst
- Corey LaJoie
- Parker Retzlaff
- Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
- Martin Truex Jr.
