NASCAR will examine all accessible information regarding the events that occurred on the last lap of the race at Richmond Raceway on Sunday night. Austin Dillon made contact with two drivers on his way to victory.
“Our sport has always involved contact,” stated Elton Sawyer, NASCAR’s senior vice president of competition. “We often hear questions about where the line is and whether someone crossed it. I would say that the last lap came very close to that line.
“We will thoroughly evaluate all available resources, including audio and video recordings, input from spotters, crew chiefs, and drivers. If any actions warrant penalties, we will address them on Tuesday.”
Dillon was in second place when he entered Turn 3 on the final lap of overtime in the Cook Out 400 and made contact with Joey Logano’s Ford Mustang. The impact caused Logano to spin and hit the outside wall. Logano, who finished 19th, criticized Dillon’s move, describing it as cowardly, as Dillon closed the gap from a few car lengths behind.
The sequence of events continued when Dillon bumped Denny Hamlin’s right rear in Turn 4. Hamlin was on the inside of Dillon, taking advantage of Dillon’s movement up the track after the collision with Logano. However, Hamlin’s car was sent into the outside wall due to Dillon’s hook, which allowed Dillon to secure the victory.
Logano finished 19th, while Hamlin crossed the finish line in fifth place.
When asked if NASCAR missed anything significant in real-time, Sawyer responded, “It happened quickly. But in my opinion, that’s very close to crossing the line.”
Sawyer believed that Sunday night’s race was excellent overall, highlighting the positive aspects such as the option tire available to Cup Series teams. However, when it comes to the last lap incident, Sawyer emphasized that NASCAR is a contact sport that encourages intense racing. The debate during NASCAR’s review is centered around determining the limits for drivers. Sawyer also acknowledged that what is considered acceptable in NASCAR today may have evolved compared to the sport’s history.
“Our sport has a 75-year history, and a lot has changed during that time,” he stated. “So, I think we need to learn from this incident and move forward. We need to ensure that racing at the highest level, which is the NASCAR Cup Series, is conducted with utmost integrity and sportsmanship. That’s what we stand for. Therefore, we will assess if any adjustments need to be made moving forward.”
Whether this includes penalizing Dillon, potentially even revoking his win, remains to be seen.
“Taking away races hasn’t been our approach historically, but that doesn’t mean it couldn’t set a precedent going forward,” Sawyer explained. “We need to carefully consider the situation.”
Photo from Nascar Instagram
