Austin Dillon and Richard Childress lost the battle in reversing their Richmond penalty this week. The appeals panel upheld the ruling, depriving Dillon of a place in the playoffs. While the RCR camp made multiple attempts to fight their case, it all went in vain. However, in his latest act, the #3 launched an indirect dig at NASCAR and Hendrick Motorsports to justify his actions.

It is no secret that Austin Dillon had a slim chance of winning his penalty appeal given his actions. NASCAR was under severe pressure to act given the scenario created by the other teams and their drivers. While it looked like the governing body made the right call by stripping Dillon from his playoff spot, it didn’t go down well with Richard Childress and his camp.

In Childress’ words, this penalty decision “will change NASCAR forever.” Not only that, he added how the racing would not be the same again given the ruling. While Richard Childress did not look happy, as reported by FOX Sports journalist Bob Pockrass, Austin Dillon also said, “The 11 [Denny Hamlin] had 45 degrees of steer angle to the right coming up the track sliding into me. So there was two parts to that wreck.”

The latter, however, explained how RCR managed to prove Dillon’s spotter’s innocence with their case. He said, “They [NASCAR] said that the reason they took our playoff berth was a three-part problem, and it was the entirety. We were able to disprove that the spotter had anything to do with hit, because the wreck had already ensued when he said ‘Wreck him.’ And it was the context that he said it.”

Further, Dillon went on to explain how his act with Joey Logano didn’t merit any punishment. He said, “Second, between Joey and I, he gets out of the car afterwards and says I was four or five car lengths back. The true distance was two car lengths from NASCAR. We superimposed SMT and pictures, it was one and three-quarters car lengths back. He was three miles an hour slower on entry on his final lap than his white flag lap. That’s the reason I was able to get to his back bumper. In any case, when you get all this together, there was two parts to ever part of it. So it was frustrating.”

For the act with Denny Hamlin, Austin Dillon said, “The 11 [Denny Hamlin] had 45 degrees of steer angle to the right coming up the track sliding into me. His [Hamlin’s] spotter is constantly saying outside, outside as he’s coming up the track, and he contacts his right rear with my left front.”

While Dillon felt nothing wrong with what happened with Hamlin and Logano, he dragged other incidents from the past to plead his innocence. He took the example of Chase Elliott wrecking Denny Hamlin last year at Charlotte. Back then, even he was guilty of hitting the #11’s right rear. Another example Dillon used was of William Byron and Hamlin at Talladega Superspeedway in 2022.

Courtesy of his act, Byron was fined $100,000 and docked 25 points. However, with an appeal, the 25 points were rescinded. Most notably, Byron’s playoff spot was untouched in this matter. While Austin Dillon used the example of Rick Hendrick’s drivers in this case, he hinted at NASCAR showing a sort of favoritism toward Hendrick Motorsports.

Undoubtedly, it is a wild claim given how his act denied two drivers a clear chance to win the race.

Richard Childress claims losing over a million dollars of money with Austin Dillon’s penalty

The 2024 Cup Series campaign has been a nightmare for Richard Childress Racing.  While all is still not lost despite Dillon’s penalty being upheld, Richard Childress believes the ruling has cost him and the sport big time. Speaking to Bob Pockrass, he said, “Their ruling has changed NASCAR racing on the final lap forever. It’s over a million dollars to us. The largest fine ever in NASCAR. I’m just disappointed, disappointed, disappointed. That’s all I can say.”

The million-dollar figure comes considering the money lost in not making the playoffs. While a win for either Busch or Dillon at Darlington could change things around, the odds of it happening are quite low. Frustrated with this possibility, Childress vented out about the penalty decision. He said, “The drivers now, they know where a line is, or they think they do. They don’t. If you go in a car length – two-and-three-quarters was exactly how far back he was [of Logano], and the other car slows down 3 miles an hour on the last lap, you’re going to bump in a little to get [him] up the race track. Is that over now?”

He also chimed in with his perspective about the Denny Hamlin wreck. Childress said, “What is the line? And then if you go to racing somebody off the corner and they get loose [as Hamlin did] and get into you, then does that mean you’re out of the Chase? That’s all I got to say about the ruling. But it has changed racing for a win for sure.”

While it is about perception, unfortunately for Richard Childress and his team, the appeals panel sees it differently. It is not just them, the majority of the NASCAR community found Austin Dillon guilty. Despite Dillon trying to use the HMS card to prove his innocence, the decision has been made. It is time for him and his team to accept the ruling and move forward. Hopefully, they could finish on a high note at Darlington at the weekend and put all this behind them.