Richard Childress Racing (RCR), the team behind the No. 3 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 driven by Austin Dillon in the NASCAR Cup Series, has announced plans to appeal the penalties handed down after the dramatic race at Richmond. Dillon was penalized for intentionally wrecking Joey Logano’s No. 22 Ford Mustang and Denny Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota Camry on the final lap of the race.
In a statement released shortly after the penalties were announced, RCR expressed their dissatisfaction with NASCAR’s decision. Dillon’s victory at Richmond remains intact, but the repercussions are significant. His win no longer secures a spot in the NASCAR Playoffs, as his Playoff eligibility has been rescinded. Additionally, RCR was docked 25 driver and owner points, and Brandon Benesch, the No. 3 team spotter, received a three-race suspension for instructing Dillon to “wreck him” during the heated battle with Logano and Hamlin.
“Richard Childress Racing is very disappointed in NASCAR’s penalty against the No. 3 team,” the team posted on social media platform X. “We do not agree with the decision that was made and plan to appeal.”
The appeal will be reviewed by the National Motorsports Appeals Panel, though a hearing date has yet to be set.
Joey Logano, who was visibly frustrated after being spun out of the lead by Dillon, faced consequences of his own. Following the race, Logano executed a burnout in front of Dillon’s pit stall, where his crew and family members were gathered—a move deemed a violation of pit road safety regulations. NASCAR fined Logano $50,000 for the incident. As of now, neither Logano nor his team, Penske Racing, have announced plans to appeal the fine.
The removal of Dillon’s Playoff spot has intensified the competition for the remaining Playoff berths, with only four slots left and three races remaining before the final 16 championship-eligible drivers are determined. The next race in this critical stretch is set for August 18th, 2024, at Michigan International Speedway.
