Many fans and critics are discussing the aftermath of probably the most controversial win in NASCAR. There have been many opposing statements to each other, with some believing only 1 car was intentionally wrecked while others felt it was both. Ultimately, NASCAR has finally decided to give Austin Dillon the victory, but as a punishment, they decided not to let the driver into the playoffs.

While some believe that the ruling is fair, others think Dillon should be driving in the playoffs. Dale Jr. was one critic who assessed the situation and was one of the first few people to mention that taking the win back at this point would not look good on the officials. Although Dale Jr. acknowledged not having a stomach for how the race ended, he believes that the Cookout 400 missed the action, that it needed.

What did Dale Jr. want from the Cookout 400?

With Dale Jr. being a former NASCAR driver, he knows exactly what the sport encapsulates. Not only is he a former driver, but he is also the team owner of JR Motorsports. So saying that Jr. knows what he wants from the sport would be an understatement. During the latest episode of Dale Jr. Download, the podcast spoke about Austin Dillon’s aggressive driving, which surfaced a question from the host.

Dale Jr. was asked to comment on the conversation between Jordan Bianchi and Elton Sawyer, “What about the competitive spirit of racing for a win? Elton’s actually doing media availability right now, and our very own Jordan Bianchi asked, ‘Is there concern about taking away full-contact racing—the type of racing that NASCAR prides itself on?’ Elton Sawyer said, ‘We encourage that; we want them to race hard. That’s our DNA for 75 years.’ Does this dilute the competitive spirit, you think?”

Although Dale Jr. mentioned not appreciating what transpired in the last lap because of the aggressive driving, he contradicted himself by saying, “No. Look, was there any contact in that race up until that point? Yeah, like none. I don’t think they’re rough enough, and I don’t know how you get there. What happened on that last lap was way too much, but everything else for 490-some laps was way too little for my taste for my appetite.” 

Dale Jr. made it clear that he enjoys a little aggression in NASCAR. He explained why he prefers short-track racing while explaining that the drivers in those formats are more aggressive, even before midway through the race. According to Dale Jr., he would have enjoyed the race a little rougher, as he is used to seeing short-track races build up some contact during the race.

He concluded his stance by saying, “Man, I would love it if they were a little rougher, but that’s just me. That’s personal preference. Again, not that I think the last lap was too much for my appetite, but boy, it was lacking for the majority of that event.” 

With this, the NASCAR icon declares he enjoys when NASCAR races have more aggression and contact. When NASCAR announced stripping away Austin Dillon’s playoff eligibility, Dale Jr. had something to add there.

The Pied Piper’s take on NASCAR’s decision on Austin Dillon

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NASCAR announced they will grant Austin Dillon a win but not get a seat in the playoffs with this result. The fact that Dillon wrecked Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin still stands and although NASCAR’s decision came days after the race, Dale Jr is unsure about their choice.

On his podcast, Dale Jr stated that only time will tell if NASCAR made the right decision with the penalty. The officials have tried to correct their original decision to let Dillon participate in the playoffs. Although Dale Jr does not think this decision is detrimental to hurting the sport, he would like to wait for others to have their say on this.

Whether Dillon deserves to be in the playoffs or not is still a matter of debate. However, ultimately, NASCAR’s rulings decided that Dillon would need to score another win in the upcoming 3 races. We know that Austin Dillon is far from making the cutoff in terms of points and with his motivation of winning a race, we will have to see if he can repeat what he did at Richmond without wrecking other cars.

Do you think NASCAR made the right decision in not letting Austin Dillon race in the playoffs? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.