Dillon Wrecks His Way To Wild Richmond Victory

RICHMOND, Va. – Austin Dillon created the most improbable path imaginable into the NASCAR Cup Series playoff field with a stunning and controversial victory Sunday night at Richmond Raceway.

After a late caution produced overtime in the Cook Out 400, Dillon led the field to green but was bested on the outside of turns one and two by Joey Logano on the first lap of the green-white-checkered attempt.

Settling into second at that point, Dillon waited until the final turn coming to the checkered flag, diving in deeper to turn three than anyone had all night long in an effort to get to Logano’s bumper.

He did just that, sending Logano sliding into a spin but losing some momentum in the process, which allowed Denny Hamlin to charge to the inside exiting turn four and begin a pass for the win.

Dillon and Hamlin then came together, hooking Hamlin into the outside wall as Dillon went back by to the checkered flag, securing his first Cup Series win in two years and catapulting from 32nd in points to a guaranteed berth in the postseason.

It was, according to Dillon afterward, a case of doing what he felt he had to do in order to revitalize his entire season – especially considering he’d been leading going away with two laps left in regulation before the yellow flag sent everything into chaos.

“It’s been two years,” noted Dillon, whose last win prior to Sunday was Aug. 28, 2022, at Daytona (Fla.) Int’l Speedway to make the playoffs that season as well.

“This is the first car I've had with a shot to win. I felt like with two to go, we were the fastest car. Obviously had to have a straightaway. Wrecked the guy. I hate to do that, but sometimes you just got to have it.

“I got to thank the good Lord above. It's been tough for the last two years, man,” Dillon added. “I care about RCR, these fans, my wife. This is my first [win] for my baby girl. It means a lot. I hate it, but I had to do it.”

On a night when an option softer tire compound produced comers, goers, and substantially improved short track racing, Dillon found late-race speed with his No. 3 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 that allowed him to chase down and drive by leader Denny Hamlin following the final round of green-flag pit stops.

After making the pass for the lead at lap 372, Dillon carved his way through slower traffic, opening up a healthy gap over Hamlin and appearing to be well on his way to victory before Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Ryan Preece spun just in front of him as he was on his way toward the white flag.

That generated the lone caution for incident all night, sending all the leaders down pit road for their final set of option tires and opening the Pandora’s Box of chaos that followed.

Dillon won the race off pit road over Logano and Hamlin, setting the stage for the wild ending that left both Logano and Hamlin fuming when they climbed from their smoking and battered race cars.

While Dillon noted he was willing to do “whatever it takes” to reach victory lane, Logano immediately blasted the moves that ultimately won the third-generation driver the race.

“It’s chicken $#!%. There’s no doubt about it,” Logano stressed. “He [was] four car lengths back, not even close. Then he wrecks the 11 [Hamlin] to go along with it. Then he's going to go up there and thank God and praise everything with his baby. It’s a bunch of BS. It’s not even freaking close.

“I get it, bump-n-run. I get that. [But] I didn’t back up the corner at all,” the two-time Cup Series champion added. “He came in there and just drove through me. It’s ridiculous that that’s the way we race [now]. Unbelievable.”

Hamlin, who started from the pole and led a race-high 124 laps, appeared he’d steal the win back in the split second after Logano went spinning.

He was still scored second after NASCAR determined the caution was deployed moments before the finish line – freezing the field despite the fact that Hamlin smacked the outside wall following the contact with Dillon – and admitted he saw both sides of the situation, but was frustrated by the circumstances that led to the ultimate outcome.

“It’s obviously foul, [but] it’s fair in NASCAR. We’re just a different league, right?” Hamlin remarked. “There [are] no penalties for rough driving or anything like that. It opens up the opportunity for Austin to be able to just do whatever he wants.

“The problem I had [with the situation is] I got hooked in the right rear again,” he continued. “I [was] just minding my business. He turned left and hooked me in the right rear. … There’s no ill will there. I get it. I just hate [that] I was part of it.

“It would have been fun if I wasn’t one of the two guys that got taken out in the last corner, but I understand it. Doesn’t mean I have to agree with it [though].”

When the chaos settled, Tyler Reddick finished third behind Dillon and Hamlin, followed by his 23XI Racing teammate Bubba Wallace and Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain.

Christopher Bell, Kyle Larson, rookie Carson Hocevar, Chase Elliott, and Daniel Suarez closed the top 10.

Bell won stage one and led 122 laps through the first three quarters of the race, but got busted for speeding during a lap-281 pit stop under green that cost him track position he was never able to fully make up.

Suarez topped the second stage after using his first set of softer option tires to drive through the field from 16th to the lead, proving the strategic worth of the new compound that was put into place for the Richmond event.

But all eyes at the end were on Dillon, who had little remorse for the steps he took to get back to victory lane.

“We just never give up,” he said. “Just got to get it done sometimes.”

The NASCAR Cup Series returns to action Aug. 18 at Michigan Int’l Speedway. Broadcast coverage of the FireKeepers Casino 400 is slated for 2:30 p.m. ET, live on USA, the Motor Racing Network, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.