Reigning NASCAR Cup champion Ryan Blaney has weighed in on the controversy surrounding Austin Dillon’s recent race win at Richmond, where Dillon secured victory by wrecking race leaders Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin. The incident, which occurred shortly after the NASCAR Cup season resumed following the extended Olympic break, led to severe penalties for Dillon, including the loss of his automatic playoff berth, a significant points deduction, and the suspension of his spotter for three races.
Blaney, whose teammate was denied a race win due to Dillon’s actions, did not hold back in his assessment of the incident. He made it clear that he would never intentionally wreck another driver to secure a championship. While Blaney acknowledged that aggressive moves, like spinning out a competitor, can sometimes be justified to a certain extent, he argued that Dillon’s right hook on Hamlin crossed the line.
“Dillon got beat in the restart fair and square,” Blaney stated, emphasizing that losing races due to cautions and subsequent restarts is a common occurrence in motorsports. “It’s part of the game, and it’s not something to be pissed off about. He should’ve accepted his fate and moved on.”
Blaney suggested that if Dillon had wanted to win the right way, he could have opted for more traditional tactics, such as door-banging with Logano or running him up the track in the first two turns. Instead, Dillon chose to take it too far on the final corner, a decision that Blaney and many others in the NASCAR community found unacceptable.
The defending champion is firm in his belief that blatant wrecks, regardless of the situation, cannot be justified. Blaney’s stance reflects a broader sentiment among current drivers who share his view on the Dillon incident, underscoring the importance of maintaining respect and sportsmanship on the track.
