Austin Dillon’s Richmond win won’t count toward Playoffs

Professional athletes experience wild swings of emotion from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows. That was the fate for the No. 3 team of Austin Dillon who on Sunday won the Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway with a controversial last lap pass.

On Wednesday, NASCAR’s sanctioning body issued penalties that allow the No. 3 team to keep the win, but strips the team of the “win and you're in” eligibility for the Playoffs that begin in three weeks at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

The team was slapped with a 25-point loss in both the driver and owner standings. With the penalties, Dillon reracks to 31st in the drivers’ standings.

The Playoff eligibility part of the penalty falls under Section 12.3.2.1.b of the NASCAR Rule Book, which states: “Race finishes must be unencumbered by violation(s) of the NASCAR Rules or other action(s) detrimental to stock car auto racing or NASCAR as determined in the sole discretion of NASCAR.”

In addition to Dillon’s penalties, NASCAR issued two more penalties. NASCAR’s sanctioning body suspended the No. 3 team spotter Brandon Benesch for three Cup Series races after reviewing team radio where Benesch repeated, “wreck him” during the closing laps.

The driver of the No. 22 car, Joey Logano, who was leading the race before the No. 3 moved him, was fined $50,000 for post race safety issues. An angry Logano revved his motor and spun his tires on a crowded pit road near the No. 3 team’s pit box.

In an interview Wednesday, Elton Sawyer, NASCAR Senior Vice President of Competition, explained that after reviewing all data and transmissions available, the sanctioning body deemed that penalties needed to be assessed to protect the integrity of the sport.

“In our view it crossed the line without a doubt,” Sawyer said. “Our sport has been based on strong emotions and has been based off “you win and you're in”, but anything we feel as a sanctioning body that has crossed the line from the standpoint that compromises the integrity of our Playoff format as well as our Championship, we are going to get involved,” he added.

Ironically, Austin Dillon now finds himself in the same scenario as he was before the Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway – he needs a win to punch his ticket to the Playoffs. With only three races to go that’s a pretty tall order especially since Dillon had a 24.0 finishing average last year for the three remaining races at Michigan, Daytona, and Darlington.

Richard Childress Racing announced on social media that it plans to appeal the decision. “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.”

The National Motorsports Appeals Panel will hear the appeal at a date to be determined.