RCR Penalty Upheld

As an update to our article below, originally published August 14th, Bill Mullis, the Final Appeals Officer, upheld the penalty levied on the No. 3 of Austin Dillon due to a last-lap incident at Richmond Raceway.

Mullis said: “The data presented today from SMT and IDAS systems indicate that more likely than not a rule violation did occur at Richmond Raceway on 8-11-24 by the No. 3 RCR car on the last lap of the race. (Rule 12.3.2.1.B Eligibility, race finishes must be unencumbered by violations of the NASCAR rules or other actions detrimental to stock car auto racing or NASCAR as determined in the sole discretion of NASCAR.)”

Going to Final Appeal was a Hail Mary move for RCR, one that was obvious they weren’t going to win. Taking into account that NASCAR consulted with all stakeholders in the sport and took 3 days to make the decision to penalize Dillon, it was clear they had finally drawn a line in the sand regarding acceptable on-track actions. And since then, executives have been united and vocal about their decision, stating that failing to acknowledge what happened and the SMT data that supported it would have led to a chaotic and ruthless playoff season. With 90% of industry insiders, including drivers, backing the original decision, it was not likely that NASCAR would overturn it.

Dillon Penalty – Keeps the Win, not the Playoff berth

Despite Elton Sawyer suggesting post-race at Richmond that any potential penalities would be assessed and addressed on Tuesday (August 13), it took until late Wednesday before NASCAR officials announced that Austin Dillon’s win of the Cook Out 400 would NOT count towards Cup Series Playoff eligibility.

The penalty against Dillon was the most significant of several issued following Sunday’s race, which concluded with a chaotic overtime lap. After thoroughly reviewing the footage and data, NASCAR officials decided that while Dillon would retain the win, it essentially means nothing because his automatic spot in the 16-driver postseason field would be voided. The decision was based on a violation of Section 12.3.2.1.b of the NASCAR Rule Book, which addresses playoff eligibility and 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 the playoff ineligibility, Dillon and the No. 3 team were docked 25 points in both the drivers’ and owners’ standings, causing Dillon to drop from 26th to 31st in the driver rankings. Officials clarified that the voided playoff eligibility applies to both the drivers’ and owners’ championships. Elton Sawyer, NASCAR’s senior vice president of competition, explained that the penalties were a result of the chain of events in Turns 3 and 4 on the final lap.

“I think in all due respect to the appeal process, we looked at this and the totality of everything that happened as you enter Turn 3 and as the cars got to the start/finish line,” Sawyer said. “So, as we look through all of that data, we came to the conclusion that a line had been crossed.”

Logano received a $50,000 fine for his actions after the race when he angrily spun the tires of his No. 22 Team Penske Ford near the RCR No. 3 team’s pit box. This act, considered a violation of the member code of conduct due to compromising the safety of others, led to team members scattering on pit road and prompted a stern warning from NASCAR officials.

Additionally, NASCAR competition officials suspended Brandon Benesch, the spotter for the No. 3 team, for three Cup Series races. The suspension was due to Benesch’s instructions to Dillon, where a review of team radio transmissions revealed Benesch saying “wreck him” as Dillon battled Hamlin for the win.

Dillon, who entered Sunday’s race in 32nd place in the standings, had initially surged to 13th in the provisional playoff grid with his performance. However, Wednesday’s ruling reduces the number of playoff qualifiers to 12, with four open spots still to be decided in the remaining three regular-season races. Dillon remains eligible for the playoffs if he secures a win in one of these upcoming events.

Both Hamlin and Logano expressed strong disapproval of Dillon’s last-lap actions, which resulted in both their cars hitting the outside wall. Logano had cleared Dillon on the final restart and gained a 2 to 3 car lead in the two-lap sprint to the finish. However, Dillon dive bombed the 22 car, aggressively driving his No. 3 RCR Chevrolet into Turn 3 and turning the wheel 70% according to SMT data—double the amount of a normal turn.

Dillon’s subsequent loss of speed allowed Hamlin to edge ahead at the exit of Turn 4, but Dillon right hooked the bumper of the #11 car and sent Hamlin into the outside wall. Dillon went on to claim his first Cup Series victory in 68 races, nearly two years since his last win.

In the winner’s press conference, Dillon and his team owner and grandfather, Richard Childress, defended the final-lap maneuvers. “I don’t know, man. It’s just the rules of the sport, right? It is what it is. Wins get you into the next round. I did what I had to do to cross the start/finish line first.”

Dillon, Childress, and No. 3 crew chief Justin Alexander all claimed they did not hear Benesch’s “wreck him” directive from the spotter’s stand. As a matter of fact, when questioned about it in the media center, Childress suggested it was fake, until reporter Bob Pockrass confirmed the team’s radio transmissions.

Sawyer elaborated on the reasoning behind Benesch’s suspension, saying, “If you look at the crew chief and you look at the spotter, we know exactly what was said. We just felt like, that’s not what we need spotters doing. That’s not what we need (from a) crew chief sitting on the box. They’re a calming voice to what the situation is in front of them, and they’re supposed to be spotting for the race, not making comments like were made, as we all know.”

Sawyer also addressed the fine imposed on Logano for his pit-road outburst, noting that officials would reexamine post-race procedures for people crossing the wall while cars are still moving toward their designated parking spots.

“Some of this, we’ve got some work to do on our side,” Sawyer said. “There was a lot of people on pit road, and there always is. We have our officials out there. The drivers need to understand that. Totally understand the emotion — I get it, I’ve been there a few years back. But you have to respect the fact that we do have people on pit road. Our officials will be there, security will be there. We’ll do a better job on our side to make sure that families and young children and sponsors and of that nature are not on the hot side.”