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Photo credit: Nigel Kinrade Photography
Racing

NASCAR evaluating Richmond finish for potential penalties

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RICHMOND, VA. -- Austin Dillon has a spot in the playoffs after winning Sunday night's race at Richmond, but he could face potential penalties from the sanctioning body.

Dillon spun Joey Logano on the final lap of overtime and then he made contact with Denny Hamlin, which hooked the No. 11 into the wall. Dillon went on to win the race.

According to NASCAR Senior Vice President of Competition Elton Sawyer, NASCAR will evaluate the finish of the race and determine if any of Dillon's actions on the track rise to the level of a penalty.

NASCAR will also evaluate Logano throttling up in front of Dillon's crew on pit road to show his displeasure.

"Our sport has been a contact sport for a long time," Sawyer told media members gathered at the NASCAR hauler after the race. "We always hear, 'Where's the line? Someone crossed the line.' I would say that the last lap is awful close to the line."

According to Sawyer, NASCAR will examine video footage, SMT data, and all available resources while going through the process to determine if penalties are applicable.

Sawyer said that taking a win away was not in NASCAR's DNA, but he didn't shut down the notion entirely. It is something that could set a precedent for the future if NASCAR deemed it necessary.

"We want our drivers to race hard," Sawyer said, "but if we feel like maybe -- if we're getting to a point in time where that would have, in our eyes, crossed the line -- like I said, we'll look at all the data and discuss next week."

NASCAR will announce any penalties, if applicable, on Tuesday.

Taking the win away would be unlikely, but a one-race suspension or a fine may not be out of the question.

NASCAR suspended Chase Elliott for one race last season after he hooked Hamlin into the wall at Charlotte Motor Speedway. NASCAR also suspended Bubba Wallace for one race in 2022 after he hooked Kyle Larson at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

The radio communication could play a role in NASCAR's decision about any potential penalties. The reason is that someone on the radio yelled "Run him down, wreck him!" It sounded like spotter Brandon Benesch.

Team owner Richard Childress denied that anyone on the No. 3 team had told Dillon to intentionally wreck Logano or Hamlin. He said that you can't believe everything on the internet.

"Hell no, nobody said, 'Go out and wreck him, do what you got to do,'" Childress said. "Nobody. I was on the radio the whole time."

Dillon also said that he hadn't heard anything over the radio during the hectic final moments of the race. He said that he was just "elbows up, holding the throttle down" while trying to get to the start-finish line first. Dillon added that "your eyes see red" and that you just get to the end of the race.

Even if Dillon did not hear the audio, there is still the possibility that team communication could lead to a penalty. This is something that has happened in the past.

NASCAR penalized Cole Custer and Stewart-Haas Racing after the Charlotte Roval playoff race in 2022, saying that the No. 41 team had committed a deliberate act of race manipulation. Custer and his team lost out on 50 points. Custer also received a $100,000 fine while crew chief Mike Shiplett received an indefinite suspension.

The penalties stemmed from communication on the final lap of the playoff race. Shiplett told Custer to "check up" in front of the field due to a potential flat tire. The SHR driver slowed down, which also helped teammate Chase Briscoe gain the necessary positions to advance to the next round.

Scott Miller, who was SVP of Competition at the time, said that Shiplett could not see the car and that it was "obviously pretty telling" what happened in that situation.

The final lap at Richmond was significantly different than the final lap at the Roval. However, the radio communication could once again be the factor that leads to potential penalties.