Will Austin Dillon be suspended? NASCAR to investigate RCR driver after intentionally wrecking Joey Logano, Denny Hamlin

David Suggs

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Will Austin Dillon be suspended? NASCAR to investigate RCR driver after intentionally wrecking Joey Logano, Denny Hamlin image

Sunday night was supposed to represent a coronation of sorts for Austin Dillon.

The Richard Childress Racing driver has had a torrid past two years in the No. 3 car, entering Sunday night's race at Richmond — the Cook Out 400 — sitting a paltry 32nd in points. And yet, over the course of nearly 400 miles, he was faultless, climbing up the ladder to compete for a win with the likes of Cup Series standouts Joey Logano, Denny Hamlin and Tyler Reddick.

The circumstances were coming together seamlessly for the 34-year-old, who has Truck Series and Xfinity Series championships to his name but has struggled in recent times with his grandfather's famous company. Then, madness struck.

With one lap remaining in overtime, Dillon — firmly in second place behind Logano — drove from four car lengths back of the Team Penske driver to run Logano off the track and into a 19th-place finish. Seconds later, with Hamlin appearing to have taken advantage of Dillon's deliberate wreck of the No. 22 car, Dillon's right rear hooked him into the wall, too.

For his efforts, Dillon was rewarded with an all-important race win, ensuring his place in the Cup Series playoffs. He also drew the ire of those in the Cup Series garage.

Dillon's exploits were teeming with all the theatrical zest the powers at be at NASCAR have embraced in the past. Some compared Dillon — a five-time race winner in NASCAR's top flight — to Dale Earnhardt Sr., who was known to make brash and deeply unpopular decisions on the track if that could lead him to a win.

For Dillon's counterparts, though, the implications of his victory carry a deeper weight. So much so that many are calling on the sport's governing body to punish Dillon for his actions, be that by suspension or other means.

Here's the latest on Dillon's status as NASCAR investigates what went down at the "Action Track" on Sunday evening.

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Austin Dillon wreck, explained

Dillon, having recorded just two top-10 finishes prior to Sunday's race, needed a prayer to ensure entry into the Cup Series playoffs. He took matters into his own hands after Ricky Stenhouse Jr. wrecked with two laps to go, setting up a decisive overtime.

Logano, sitting at the top of the pack, flashed out of the mire like a cannon, easily getting past Dillon and the rest of his Cup Series colleagues during the first lap of overtime. When the white flag came out, Logano was in full control of the grid, having paced beyond Dillon's grasp. A win seemed inevitable, especially after Dillon was unable to displace Logano by legal means (e.g., attempting to bump and run him on the first two turns).

So, one Turn 3, Dillon employed a different strategy. He accelerated from four cars back and collided with Logano, sending his scorched chariot toward the barrier.

Dillon miscalculated his attempt, proving unable to down shift in time to take advantage of his positioning. Hamlin was the biggest beneficiary, taking Logano's space at the top of the ladder.

So Dillon wrecked him, too. The RCR veteran delivered a crunching hook shot into Hamlin's right rear, sending him spiraling toward the wall, too.

Hamlin did just enough to recover, placing second despite Dillon's best efforts. It wasn't the victory he craved, however. That went to Dillon, who was roundly booed by the masses of fans who pooled into Richmond Raceway's concourses on Sunday night.

Logano was incensed with Dillon's indiscretion, as well as NASCAR's unwillingness to punish the Cup Series veteran for it.

“It’s chicken s—,” Logano said. “There’s no doubt about it. He is four car lengths back, not even close. Then he wrecks (Hamlin) to go along with it. Then he’s going to go up there and thank God and praise everything with his baby. It’s a bunch of BS. It’s not even freakin’ close.

“Dude, bump-and-run, I get it. I didn’t back up the corner at all. He came in there and just drove through me. It’s ridiculous that that’s the way we race. Unbelievable.”

Hamlin, meanwhile, revealed that Dillon's actions will have clear repercussions on the race track in both the regular season and playoffs. He did, however, acknowledge that the juice was worth the squeeze for the No. 3 car, which now guarantees itself a spot in the 16-man playoff field.

"He's going to be credited with the win, but obviously he's just not going to go far," Hamlin said. "You've got to pay your dues back on stuff like that. But it's worth it, because they jump 20 positions in points. So I understand all that. There's no ill will there. I get it. I just hate I was a part of it. It would have been fun if I was not one of the two guys that got taken out on the last corner."

Will Austin Dillon be suspended?

NASCAR's senior vice president of competition, Elton Sawyer, confirmed that Dillon's actions would be looked at following the conclusion of Sunday's race. He also cited that it's not typical for NASCAR to revoke driver's wins for aggressive driving. He did claim that Dillon's move was approaching a fault line for what is and isn't acceptable in a Cup Series ride.

After a review, NASCAR elected not to suspend Dillon, however he still is facing discipline. His win at Richmond will not count toward NASCAR playoff eligibility for either the driver or owner championships. They also have been penalized 25 driver and owner points from the standings. 

"In our view, [Dillon's actions] crossed a line," Sawyer said. "Again, our sport has been based on strong emotions. It's been based off win and you're in. But anything that we feel like, from a sanctioning body, that has crossed the line from a standpoint that compromises the integrity of out playoff format, as well as our championship, we are going to get involved."

Hamlin made it clear that NASCAR's lack of clarity and consistency on the matter of rough racing created the conditions by which Dillon was allowed to claim a win for himself after deliberately running two racers off the road.

"Absolutely a line was crossed, but it’s an invisible line," Hamlin said. "It’s not defined. I mean, they have rules and provisions for stuff like this, but they never take action for it.

"It’s obviously foul, but it is fair in NASCAR. We're just a different league. There are no penalties for rough driving or anything like that, so it opens up the opportunity for Austin to just do whatever he wants. The problem that I have is I got hooked in the right rear again. I’m just minding my own business, and he turned left, and he hooked me in the right rear and blew my damn shoulder out. I don’t know."

Right rear hooks are generally seen as a cardinal sin in NASCAR, with Bubba Wallace forced to serve a one-race ban back in 2022 after committing the offense on Kyle Larson. Chase Elliott received the same punishment last season after taking Hamlin out with the same gesture. Truck Series driver Layne Riggs was served an in-race penalty after bumping Stefan Parsons in a race earlier this season.

There's also the question of Childress' role in the matter. The Athletic's Jeff Gluck reported that Dillon's spotter told Dillon to wreck Hamlin as the Joe Gibbs Racing star attempted to pass the No. 3.

Following the conclusion of the race, team owner — and Dillon's grandfather — Richard Childress is reported as saying the following: "Pop Pop is proud of you."

Regardless, it's clear Dillon's colleagues did not view his effort in the best of light. If you need any further evidence, just ask Logano.

“He’s a piece of crap,” Logano said. “He sucks. He’s sucked his whole career, and now he’s gonna be in the playoffs. Good for him, I guess.”

David Suggs

David Suggs Photo

David Suggs is a content producer at The Sporting News. A long-suffering Everton, Wizards and Commanders fan, he has learned to get used to losing over the years. In his free time, he enjoys skateboarding (poorly), listening to the likes of Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and D’Angelo, and penning short journal entries.