While Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin have been vocal about the last-lap incident involving Austin Dillon at Richmond, Dillon finds himself unable to fully defend his actions until the appeal process concludes. Speaking to a small group of reporters at Michigan International Speedway, Dillon expressed his frustration at being limited in what he can say publicly about the penalty.
“I want to get through the appeal process and then I’ll gladly share my point of view and side of the story as best I can,” Dillon said to reporters, including Bob Pockrass from FOX Sports, Jeff Gluck from The Athletic, and Dustin Albino from Jayski.
At Richmond, Dillon led much of the race until a late caution brought out by Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s collision with Ryan Preece. On the final restart, with his playoff hopes hinging on a win, Dillon, running in 32nd place, made an aggressive move in Turn 4, colliding with Logano’s No. 22 car. As Dillon tried to avoid the spinning vehicle, he made contact with Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota, sending Hamlin into the wall. Despite the incident, Dillon crossed the finish line first, but NASCAR later stripped him of the win’s benefits while allowing him to keep the trophy.
Although Dillon couldn’t delve into details about the penalty, he did share some thoughts on ESPN’s “Marty and McGee Podcast,” emphasizing that he feels his team deserves to be in the playoffs and that they have a strong case to overturn NASCAR’s decision.
“With that appeal, we obviously deserve to be in the playoffs and want to reverse NASCAR’s decision to take our playoff eligibility away. We feel like we have a case to stand on,” Dillon said on the show, adding that he would return to discuss the situation further after the appeal process is complete.
Dillon, who drives the iconic No. 3 car, made famous by his grandfather Richard Childress and the late Dale Earnhardt, is no stranger to controversy. He acknowledged that his family’s legacy in the sport often puts him under scrutiny, but he remains focused on the task at hand. He also hinted that public opinion might have influenced NASCAR’s ruling, something that will likely be addressed in the appeal.
“When you talk about opinions, you know, we’ve been in the sport for as long as anyone,” Dillon remarked. “With the new landscape, at least from what we’ve heard, industry stakeholders’ opinions were taken into account this past week. It’s interesting because we were awaiting a decision that came out on Wednesday. It’s a different dynamic now, so we have to do a very good job in this appeal process, and that’s what we will do.”
Dillon noted that NASCAR closely monitors everything said by a driver and team during an appeal, which severely restricts his ability to comment. Despite this, he remains optimistic about his chances and confident in the efforts of Richard Childress Racing (RCR) to gather evidence for his defense.
“I feel pretty good about it,” Dillon said. “I think Denny Hamlin explains the appeal process well on his podcast, ‘Actions Detrimental.’ He was forthcoming early in the week about his opinion on everything. The appeal process isn’t easy, but we’re going to cover all our bases and see what the outcome is.”
Dillon also expressed respect for Hamlin’s competitive nature and strategic thinking, noting, “I respect his tactfulness and his brain when it comes to competition. He does a very good job in his gamesmanship. I have nothing but respect for Denny. I think he plays the game well, and this is a game. This is a sport. I have to do the same thing right now with my approach.”
As Dillon looks ahead, his focus shifts to the upcoming FireKeepers Casino 400, the appeal process, and the crucial races at Daytona and Darlington, which will determine the final regular season cutoff before the playoffs. Confident in his team’s preparation, Dillon remains hopeful for a favorable outcome in the appeal that could revive his playoff aspirations.
