What an end to the Richmond Race! Nobody saw that coming, Especially not Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin. Austin Dillon‘s controversial win at the end was like a De ja vu moment from the 1999 Bristol race. When the same iconic #3 car was driven by the legendary Dale Earnhardt. He also, bumped Terry Labonte at the very end of the race, spinning him, as the Intimidator took the win.

This time, facing the brunt were Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin. Who did not take kindly to the aggressive driving of Dillon. Hamlin on a recent podcast episode of Actions Detrimental questioned the integrity of the #3 driver of the Richard Childress Racing.

Denny Hamlin raises a question on Austin Dillon’s integrity

The race that unfolded has invited many reactions. Firstly, some celebrations at RCR as their dry spell of the season finally came to an end. Surprisingly, it wasn’t ended by their star and two-time NASCAR Cup series champion Kyle Busch. But rather by his team matter who is 26th in points and was 32nd before the race. Austin Dillion started the race at P6 and had a good run till the contentious last lap. Secondly, a furious Logano called everything that happened a chicken s**t move.

Here’s how the Richmond race ended. Dillon was leading the race’s last few laps, when his hopes for victory at the Cook Out 400 dwindled, with a late caution. Joey Logano seized the lead on the overtime restart, but Dillon wasn’t gonna let it go so easily. He went straight in the back of Logano to spin him. He also had contact with Denny Hamlin, who was trying to take the lead. Hamlin was thrown on the outside wall, and Finally, Dillon took the checkered flag calming a spot in the playoffs.

Many have raised questions about the way Dillon acted. Denny Hamlin who also faced the brunt of Dillon opened up about what he and the Joe Gibbs team thought about the events that unfolded on the track. In a recent episode of Actions Detrimental, he said, “Like always they (NASCAR) are gonna look at it. They said post-race that whenever the line is. He may have crossed it, but he was as close to it as possible, so certainly if you care about integrity or the sport and you wanna see us taken seriously, it is hard to look away.” 

It will be crucial to see what precedence NASCAR wants to set after this incident. Will Dillon be penalized? In the 2023 Circuit of the Americas, Daniel Suarez deliberately bumped Alex Bowman, and had to pay $50,000. The RCR team would be expecting a fine. As, in a more recent example. Bubba Wallace, in the Chicago race, was fined $50,000 for intentionally dumping Alex Bowman in frustration. Speaking of Bubba Wallace, what a performance by him as he continues his consistent high. What are the playoff chances of the #23 driver?

Will Bubba Wallace qualify for the 2024 playoffs?

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Bubba Wallace is on a role. His performance has steadily improved with each race, showing remarkable growth. From a promising 10th-place finish at the tricky triangle, he’s surged to a fifth at the Brickyard and now a fourth at the iconic Richmond raceway. Before the start of the race, Bubba was trailing in the playoff picture by -7 points below the cutoff line. But with his exceptional finish, he’s overtook Ross Chastain to take the final, 16th spot in the playoffs.

Despite a good finish, Bubba wasn’t too pleased. After the race he had said, “Wasn’t our best day for sure.”  He and his 23XI team, both know how crucial it is to get a win to seal the deal for the playoffs. Bubba has been winless since his victory at the Kansas Speedway in 2022. He’s also repeatedly talked about how did wishes to enter the playoffs with a win and not on points, like he did last season. As of now, he’s got a -3 points cushion above the cutoff line. Without a win holding on to that seems a bit difficult.

The Richmond race proved the uncertainty that NASCAR is a game of uncertainties. Although it’s never happened in NASCAR history that all 16 playoff drivers have won. But, 2024 can be the year that happens and if it is down the Wallace faction would like to be in the mix. What do you think will Bubba Wallace qualify or not? Let us know in the comments below.