Elton Sawyer put Austin Dillon’s first win in the 2024 Cup Series in jeopardy thanks to a last-lap collision with Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin. NASCAR’s senior vice president of competition offered his opinion on the incident and raised the possibility of a penalty, which, if applied, will be handed down on Tuesday. NASCAR marked its return after the mid-season break at Richmond Raceway.
Denny Hamlin is a five-time winner at the 0.750-mile oval and set the fastest qualifying lap, entering the 408-lap sprint as a contender for the win. Dillon, on the other hand, started the race from sixth place and made the top 10 for both stages, finishing seventh and fifth respectively. Additionally, he led the restart in overtime, but Logano went first in his No. 1 Ford. 1. 22 and took the white flag as a leader. However, as the field entered the final corner, the Richard Childress Racing driver collided with the Team Penske driver and, before taking his first 2024 Cup win, he also collided with the Joe Gibbs Racing driver .
Shortly after the end of the 23rd Cup Series weekend, Elton Sawyer gave his thoughts on the latest lap chaos created by Austin Dillon. “Our sport has been a contact sport for a long time. We’ve always heard, ‘Where’s the line?’ We look at all available sources, from audio to video, we listen to the spotter, we listen to the crew chiefs and the drivers, and if something rises to a level that we think should be penalized, then I will do it on Tuesday” , race vice president Bob Pockrass told X. So far, no penalty has been handed down to Austin Dillon and his playoff spot is assured.
‘Will Pay Consequences’ Denny Hamlin Warns Austin Dillon of Retaliatory Amid NASCAR’s ‘Real No Officiating’
After starting from the pole, Denny Hamlin took second and third in stages 1 and 2, respectively, and had a chance for his fourth win of the season. So far he has three wins – at Bristol Motor Speedway, Richmond Raceway and Dover Motor Speedway. If the JGR driver had taken the win in the Cook Out 400, he would have moved closer to his first regular season title since his 2005 debut at Kansas Speedway.
When Austin Dillon beat Logano, Hamlin automatically became the leader. But it didn’t take more than a few seconds for the RCR driver to destroy the #11 Toyota as well. Although the JGR driver avoided a potentially worse result and finished second, he was not happy with the first choice. “He will have to pay the consequences in the long run and you know, it is definitely worth it from his point of view because there are no guardrails or rules that say not to do that. And he “There is no one in the tower. There’s a problem with that, so we’re never going to be taken seriously as a sport because we don’t have a real referee,” Hamlin said via Bob Pockrass on X (1:00).
Hamlin is disappointed by the absence of the “real judge” while Austin Dillon enjoyed his first victory after a two-year layoff and entry into the playoffs.
