Denny Hamlin didn’t hold back when he took a swipe at Richard Childress Racing after Austin Dillon’s penalty. The Chevy team expressed deep disappointment with NASCAR’s decision to strip Dillon of his playoff spot following the Cook Out 400 on Sunday. Hamlin, however, shared that his frustration with Dillon, after being wrecked by him, was even greater.
Austin Dillon secured his first Cup victory in nearly two years on Sunday, but it came at a cost to Hamlin and Joey Logano of Team Penske. As the field surged through turns 3 and 4, Dillon spun both drivers, leading Richard Childress Racing to its first win of the season and their first victory at Richmond Raceway since 2013.
But on Wednesday, NASCAR announced that while Dillon would keep the win, he wouldn’t be eligible for the playoffs. He was also penalized 25 points in both the owner’s and driver’s standings, dropping him from 26th to 31st in the standings.
Naturally, the No. 3 team was upset, expressing their disagreement with the decision and their intention to appeal on X (formerly Twitter). “Richard Childress Racing is very disappointed in NASCAR’s penalty against the No. 3 team. We do not agree with the decision that was made and plan to appeal,” they posted.
Hamlin quickly reacted by reposting their statement and adding his own comment: “Not as disappointed as I was off turn 4.”
Hamlin finished second behind Dillon and currently ranks 4th in the Cup Series standings with 758 points, boasting three wins this season along with nine top 5 finishes and 10 top 10s. His next race is at Michigan International Speedway on August 18.
In a recent episode of the Dale JR Download, Dale Earnhardt Jr. criticized NASCAR for the delayed decision on Dillon’s move against Hamlin. He argued that NASCAR’s slow response made it harder for the organization to enforce higher standards in the future.
“I think that he didn’t care what happened to the 11 (Denny Hamlin),” Earnhardt said. “It definitely crossed a line. It’s a missed opportunity for NASCAR to react in the moment.”
Earnhardt also speculated that NASCAR’s hesitation might have been due to the potential consequences of immediately ruling Dillon’s move illegal and awarding the win to Hamlin. He noted that NASCAR tends to prefer clear, tangible rules, and that determining what’s legal in such moments can be challenging.
Despite criticism from Hamlin and Logano, Richard Childress stood by Dillon during the post-race press conference. Dillon insisted that his actions towards Hamlin were instinctive and not intentional.
