The most popular phrase in NASCAR has to be “rubbing is racing,” but is that really still the case? It certainly does not seem like it following a penalty issued to Austin Dillon, driver of the No. 3 car for Richard Childress Racing.
Austin Dillon held the lead for the majority of the final laps of the Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway. In the waning moments, a caution flag was thrown, and the race was sent into overtime (yes, NASCAR has overtime). On the final restart, Dillon lost the lead to Joey Logano’s Penske No. 22 car. Coming into the final turn, Dillon sent his bumper into the back of Logano, causing him to crash into the wall. During the commotion, Denny Hamlin in the No. 11 Toyota tried to race by to steal the win, but Dillon dove his car to the bottom, spinning him directly into the wall and earning Dillon’s first win in nearly two years.
In NASCAR’s points system, a win automatically places a driver into the playoffs (yes, NASCAR also has playoffs) regardless of previous performances during the season. So, Austin Dillon was lifted from 32nd in the championship standings to inside the top-16 with a chance at a title . . . or so he thought.
Days following the race, NASCAR issued a penalty, revoking Austin Dillon’s playoff eligibility but still crediting him with the race win. Elton Sawyer, NASCAR senior vice president of competition, stated, “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.”
But, where is that line? NASCAR has no publicly available rulebook like most sports do, so we are forced to go off past rulings. Looking at the two drivers most hurt in the incident, Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano have been notorious for their last lap actions, feeling that, just as Dillon did, they have to do whatever it takes to cross the line first. Logano has been well remembered for his many incidents – wrecking Matt Kenseth with five to go in 2016 to win, Carl Edwards with 10 to go for a championship, and even William Byron on the final lap.
The Byron wreck is even titled by NASCAR’s YouTube channel as “Joey Logano Punts William Byron for Win.” Logano has never faced a penalty for these actions, and he likely shouldn’t because that is what NASCAR is.
What makes NASCAR different from other racing series like Formula 1 or IndyCar is that it is a contact sport. The cars are extremely bulky and able to take hits without being damaged beyond repair for the remainder of a race. NASCAR built the cars in hopes of having race outcomes like the one Dillon produced.
In the 1999 Bristol Night Race, the previous driver of the 3, Dale Earnhardt, lost the lead to Terry Labonte with one lap to go. He, like Dillon, put the bumper to Labonte and spun him out. Earnhardt won the race, and when asked about the incident stated, “I was just trying to rattle his cage.” No penalty was given following that race. So what makes Dillon’s case any different?
RCR and Dillon have appealed the ruling, but it will likely be to no avail. At the time of writing, Austin Dillon is 31st in the standings with only three races to go before the playoffs. He’ll have to earn another win – one with a bit less bumping – in order to qualify.
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