RICHMOND, Va. -- A wild ending at Richmond Raceway has put Austin Dillon back in the playoffs for the first time since the 2022 season.
The Richard Childress Racing driver won his way into the playoffs in overtime with very aggressive moves. He hit Joey Logano from behind and spun him and then he hooked Denny Hamlin into the wall. This locked up the win but also angered other drivers.
Denny Hamlin was credited with a second-place finish. Tyler Reddick, Bubba Wallace, and Ross Chastain rounded out the top five.
MORE: Dillon wins, full results
Dillon was in control of the race during the final stage. He passed Hamlin for the lead on Lap 372, and he was in the lead with two laps remaining. However, a caution for Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Ryan Preece sent the race to overtime.
A look at the finish of Sunday's race at @RichmondRaceway. pic.twitter.com/ZCM5eaokwR
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) August 12, 2024
Dillon lined up on the front row but it was Logano who took the lead on the restart. Logano took the white flag and exited Turn 3 in sight of his second win of the season. However, this is when Dillon hit Logano from behind.
"Dude, I get it, bump-and-run," Logano told NBC Sports after the race. "I get it. I didn't back up the corner at all. He came in there and just drove through me. It's ridiculous that that's the way we race."
Regardless of the anger pointed in Dillon's direction, he changed his season Sunday night. He went from outside the top 30 in points to a playoff spot. He guaranteed that he would be one of the 16 drivers pursuing a championship.
This win was the fifth of Dillon's Cup career. He now has celebrated twice at Daytona, once at Texas, once at Charlotte, and once at Richmond.
Stage 1: Christopher Bell won stage 1. Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr., Joey Logano, Bubba Wallace, Chase Elliott, Austin Dillon, Chris Buescher, Tyler Reddick, and Josh Berry all finished top 10.
This stage win was Bell's 10th of the season. He continues to lead the Cup Series. Kyle Larson is second with eight stage points.
Stage 2: Daniel Suarez won stage 2. Christopher Bell, Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, Austin Dillon, Michael McDowell, Tyler Reddick, Bubba Wallace, Carson Hocevar, and Chase Elliott were all top 10.
Mistakes and issues: Truex ended the race in last place after his engine expired in the final stage. He lost part of his 108-point advantage over the playoff cutline.
Bell was caught speeding on pit road during the second-to-last green flag pit stop. He had led a race-high 115 laps before the mistake. Buescher's team had a long pit stop during the second stage. The left-front tire was not secure, so he had to back up into the pit stall.
Next: Cup Series teams continue the regular season with a trip to Michigan International Speedway. They will compete at the two-mile track on Aug. 18 at 2:30 p.m. ET (USA Network).