Denny Hamlin has issued a call after Sunday night's race at Richmond. He has said NASCAR needs to set an example and issue a penalty to Austin Dillon.
Dillon won Sunday night's race at Richmond in overtime. He ran into the back of Joey Logano's car and spun it on the final lap. He then made contact with the right rear of Hamlin's car and sent it into the outside wall.
"You can't wreck two guys to then go win a race and then reap the benefits of the reward of that," Hamlin said on his podcast, "Actions Detrimental," on Monday.
"We've reached a point where a flagrant foul was made but you still get the win. No, a foul is a foul. There are provisions in the Rule Book that say this is inappropriate behavior."
The driver-owner added that NASCAR needs to "draw a line in the sand" to stop these incidents. He pointed to the Busch Light Clash at the LA Memorial Coliseum as an example, saying that Dillon had "wiped out" Bubba Wallace in a move that was not a racing incident.
"I just don't know why we've allowed it to get this bad over time," Hamlin said. "And I believe you have a responsibility as a sanctioning body to set an example, not only for your competitors but for the people that are coming up through the ranks."
DH asks what would stop someone from doing this at PHX for the Championship if Austin Dillon isn't penalized. 🌵 pic.twitter.com/oTf63RKlzZ
— Dirty Mo Media (@DirtyMoMedia) August 12, 2024
Hamlin met with NASCAR after being credited with a second-place finish. He went to the hauler and talked to competition officials.
Hamlin declined to provide information about this meeting to media members waiting outside the hauler.
Senior Vice President of Competition Elton Sawyer then met with media members. He said that the sanctioning body would evaluate the last lap and determine if Dillon's actions rose to the level of a penalty. Sawyer said in the aftermath of the race that the wrecks were "awful close to the line."
NASCAR has multiple penalties it could issue if it decides to do so. The sanctioning body could take away points or levy a fine. Taking away the win is an option, albeit one that NASCAR has shied away from in the past.
Photo credit: Nigel Kinrade Photography
"There is no monetary or point penalty that affects this whatsoever. It has to be positioning," Hamlin said. "'You did not make the playoffs by doing that. That's wrong.' You could fine him a million dollars and it doesn't matter. It's still worth it.
"You could fine him 200 playoff points. It doesn't matter. He was never going to be 16th in points anyway."
Hamlin said that, in his opinion, NASCAR can not "reward Dillon" by only issuing a monetary fine or a points penalty. He said that the sanctioning body needs to put its foot down.
"You have to do something to tell (drivers) you can not intentionally crash someone for a win," Hamlin said.