After a controversial last lap, Austin Dillon recorded his first Cup Series win since Daytona International Speedway in 2022. The Richard Childress Racing driver held off Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin as he cruised to victory.
Dillon was the sixth fastest driver in qualifying, took seventh in the first stage and moved up to fifth in the second stage. But during the 324th lap of the final stage, the RCR driver began to close in on then-favorite Hamlin and overtook the final 11 laps later. From that moment, Chevrolet no. 3 was way ahead. Despite leading the race in overtime, Dillon was unable to hold onto his position and Joey Logano moved into first, taking the white flag as the leader.
However, as the race drew to a close and the field closed in on the start/finish line, a big crash by the RCR driver ruined the Team Penske driver’s potential victory. On the other hand, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver survived the crash and secured second place. Logano and Hamlin spun out in Turn 4 and hit the outside wall, while Dillon hit the No. 1 Ford first. 22 before going after Toyota no. 11. Here is the video of Austin Dillon’s controversial victory at Richmond (via NASCAR on NBC at X). With his victory in the Cook Out 400, Kyle Busch’s teammate punched his ticket to the 2024 playoffs.
‘He’s a load of shit’ – Joey Logano slams Austin Dillon for stealing his second Cup Series win of the season
Joey Logano was furious with Austin Dillon’s latest crash and criticized him for his “ridiculous” run on the .750 mile oval. The Team Penske driver started his 408-lap sprint from ninth place and was eyeing his second Cup Series victory, until the RCR driver’s crash turned the tables. Throughout the race, Logano remains among the favorites. He recorded fourth place in both stages and was in a comfortable position to take a win as he led the final lap.
But he finished in 19th place. “It’s stupid, there’s no doubt. It’s four cars back. So you remove 11. And then you go up and thank God with your child. C You’re a bunch of assholes. . . “It’s ridiculous to run like that. I hit myself, I did this … what a piece of shit,” an angry Logano said via PRN Live on X.
After a mediocre start to the season, the driver of the No. 22 regained the momentum and took home the million dollar victory in the All-Star race. Since then, the Connecticut native has seen his performance improve with a win in Nashville, three top 5s and four top 10s. However, his previous outing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway ended in a retirement, and a win at Richmond could spell his fateful weekend at the Brickyard. So far, no penalties have been issued for Austin Dillon’s ride and it will be interesting to see if the officials consider him the winner or Denny Hamlin, who finished second.
