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In a race that could have been written for a Hollywood thriller, Austin Dillon found himself at the center of controversy in the Cookout 400. Picture the situation: Dillon, trailing Joey Logano by more than a car length, decides to hit him from behind a brave attempt to take the lead. The bet pays off for the moment as Denny Hamlin rushes ahead, but he too is crushed by Dillon. Dillon crosses the finish line first, but the celebration is short-lived.
When the dust settled, NASCAR initially declared Dillon the winner. But the victory is tainted. Fans flooded social media, their anger reverberating throughout the racing community. The call is forcing NASCAR to take a hard look at Dillon’s aggressive tactics. His verdict? Although Dillon won the race, his actions did not merit a playoff spot. The consequences are felt in the RCR team and NASCAR imposes additional sanctions. Dillon’s controversial win in the Cookout 400 is a stark reminder: in the world of racing, winning is as much about integrity as speed.
Dale Jr. discusses NASCAR’s decision to ban Austin Dillon from the playoffs
The Richard Childress Racing driver has had a tough season so far. Simply hanging on for a top-10 finish, not including the race to Richmond, wasn’t enough, and that was something he and the team knew. So when he got the chance to try and win the race, he did everything he could to do it. The controversy has long been discussed by many critics, and Dale Jr. he was one of them.
In the latest episode of Dale Jr. Download, the team talks about what the penalty that eliminated Dillon from the playoffs really means to the team. Dale Jr. also indicates that if RCR wants to appeal to NASCAR over Dillon’s loss of his playoff spot, now is the time. Seeing how attractive the other teams are, Dale Jr. he said, “Yes, I think they can.” I don’t even know if they can, and maybe they do. »
Dale Jr. discussed the crew chief’s radio message asking the pilot to destroy the Logano and how Richard Childress should make his case based on the SMT data. The noise caused in the last round left people wondering who was to blame, but the data clarified who was to blame. The host later said: “I think this penalty, in my opinion, is for contact with Denny Hamlin, not the 22nd. I could be wrong, but I believe that if Austin takes out both 22 and this is the end result, none of this will ever happen. »
After stating that Dale Jr. he does not believe that Dillon intentionally destroyed Hamlin, he said: “So if they can appeal, I would not be surprised by everything that is at stake – a chance to be in the playoffs. While we know that they are not a championship threat, is at least a few million dollars to be in this playoff field I would not be surprised at all if it was presented.
Dale Jr. waiting for a call from Richard Childress Racing to find a spot in the playoffs and it looks like they got it.
Richard Childress is appealing NASCAR’s decision to remove Austin Dillon from the playoffs
Richard Childress is not only an outstanding crew chief, but also a driver with decades of experience under his belt. Although Dale Jr. Hinted on his podcast, it’s highly unlikely that Childress will decide to make his move to NASCAR based on anyone else’s advice. Austin Dillon hasn’t won in 68 races, and with the last win so controversial, Childress is trying to cut the damage. Although Richard Childress did not directly say that they would appeal the decision, the official website of RCR X made the announcement.
According to the tweet, “Richard Childress Racing is very disappointed with NASCAR’s penalty against team No.” This gives Austin Dillon the opportunity to return to the playoff list and only time will tell if NASCAR agrees with the team. All things considered, do you think NASCAR will give Austin Dillon a playoff spot? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.