After securing his first win of the season at Richmond, Austin Dillon faced questions about the aggressive style he used in the final moments of the race. Just before the checkered flag, Dillon made contact with both Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin, raising eyebrows about the manner in which he claimed victory.
During the post-race press conference, a reporter noted the similarity between Dillon’s tactics and those of Dale Earnhardt Sr., who famously drove the #3 car. When asked if he had Earnhardt Sr. in mind during the race, Dillon dismissed the notion.
“It honestly never crossed my mind,” Dillon said. “It just played out that way. Sure, I’ve seen Dale move people and piss them off. He got booed a lot in his career. I think Kyle Busch is the closest thing we’ve seen to Dale Earnhardt Sr., but I’m not that. I’m Austin Dillon. I’m just going to try my hardest. When I get a chance, I’ll give it everything I’ve got. That’s exactly what happened on that last lap. I wasn’t thinking about anything else.”
Dillon emphasized that the move he made was the only opportunity he had to win, and he believed he did “a good job” of positioning his #3 Camaro as aggressively as he did all night without spinning out.
Reflecting on the race, former NASCAR driver Kenny Wallace saw echoes of Dale Earnhardt in Dillon’s actions. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Wallace noted that Dillon’s closing laps reminded him of the way Earnhardt Sr. and his team operated.
“Anytime Dale Sr. pulled a move like that, we watched him do it, and his crew was always there to back him up,” Wallace commented. “What I saw from Dillon brought back shades of the past.”
However, Wallace also pointed out that what Dillon did to Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano was wrong, referencing the infamous Dale Sr. – Terry Labonte incident at Bristol in 1999 as a parallel.
It’s worth noting that Dillon’s win at Richmond marks his first victory since August 28, 2022, at Daytona. Prior to this race, Dillon’s season had been lackluster, with only a couple of top-10 finishes that left him 32nd in the standings. But with Sunday’s win, Dillon has vaulted into the playoffs.
