The NASCAR world has split opinions on the Richmond debacle. Although NASCAR’s penalty report has now clarified the official stance on the matter, there were sportsmen who cheered Austin Dillon’s victory. Legacy Motor Club’s co-owner and part-time driver, Jimmie Johnson, is one of those people.

The #84 driver stands in the ranks with the likes of Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty. He is the only one with five consecutive Premier Series Championships in his NASCAR career and has recently been honored with inclusion in the Hall of Fame. Despite the veteran’s impeccable career, LMC’s #43 driver, Erik Jones, disagrees with his take on the Richmond race winner, comparing Austin Dillon’s shenanigans with that of the Intimidator.

Dale Earnhardt was known for his aggressive racing

In his time, Dale Earnhardt was infamous for controversies around bumping and spinning stock cars during racing. The guy was no doubt a legend with seven Cup Series championships, the highest tally in NASCAR, under his belt. Ironically, he met a tragic end to his life after a last-lap crash at the Daytona 500 in 2001.

So, looking at Jimmie Johnson’s tweet on X, “Dale Sr vibes” after Dillon’s win at Richmond Raceway, the uncanny similarity of a last-lap rush to the victory lane comes to mind. Dale Sr was nicknamed ‘the Intimidator’ for a reason. His reckless driving earned him that name. NASCAR penalized him several times, but that didn’t get through to Dale ‘Ironhead’ Earnhardt as he continued to keep his ways till the last day of his existence.

Dale Sr. showcased his most notable driving with Richard Childress Racing. The fact that Richard Childress’s grandson is being touted as the Intimidator says something about RCR and its racing ideology. And while Jimmie Johnson, who was Dale Sr’s contemporary once, found similarities in the racing tactics, Erik Jones seems to digress.

When Bob Pockrass asked the #43 driver if he would have done the same as Dillon did, he said, “No, that’s not the way I race. I don’t think I could do that. It’s not in my playbook.” This is a good example of a driver following an ethical code of conduct and self-policing their act on the tracks.

This is exactly what NASCAR was talking about when it said that drivers know their on-track limits. They’ve been told that repeatedly over time. At the end of the day, the driver makes a call to do what they think is justified.

Does the sport’s format instigate reckless driving?

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The NASCAR point system can appear as rigged to insiders. If a driver fails to muster sufficient points during the regular season, they tend to win races by hook or by crook. Many instances have been seen in the past with similar motivations. In 2023, Joey Logano’s race was disqualified from Playoffs for a similar stunt as Dillon’s.

The Matt Kenseth Rule was brought in to bring some excitement to the game and make it more engaging. In NASCAR’s defense, it was facing a tough time attracting viewership, and it did what it had to do. But now drivers are using this attitude to get to the playoffs at all expense. This is irresponsible and dangerous for all the drivers to the least.

So, the game might be rigged a little for showbiz purposes, but participants must know better. Everyone needs to have personal morals in place and abide by the common ethical standards, even if they’re not in black and white. All the stakeholders need to hold an upper moral ground for the sport to thrive.

Do you think there need to be changes in the NASCAR format and point system?