Fans eagerly await NASCAR’s verdict after the controversial incidents at Richmond Raceway. Austin Dillon, who won his first Cup Series race in nearly two years, not only sent Joey Logano into the wall in the final lap but also spun Denny Hamlin on his way to the checkered flag. And, he’s not the only driver in hot water after the Cook Out 400, as Joey Logano, visibly frustrated at the race’s outcome, was seen throttling his engine as hard as he could in a congested pit road.

With NASCAR yet to reach a decision, the sanctioning body is facing the ire of fans who are keen to get some closure regarding the race’s outcome. From points deductions, Dillon’s playoff spot being in jeopardy, to a hefty fine, speculation is rife about the direction NASCAR could be heading toward before action resumes at Michigan.

Could NASCAR rain on Austin Dillon’s parade?

Nobody expected Austin Dillon to compete for a win at Richmond Raceway, but the Richard Childress Racing driver found himself in unknown territory. The No. 3 Chevy racer had a comfortable three-second lead with just two laps to go, but a caution after a wreck involving Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Ryan Preece changed everything. Dillon didn’t manage to get the best restart in overtime, which allowed Joey Logano to take the lead, but the 34-year-old wasn’t willing to give up that easily. And the aftermath?

Attempting to regain his position, Dillon rear-ended Logano’s No. 22 Ford, which sent him spinning. During this process, Denny Hamlin almost stole the lead, but the No. 3 Chevy spun the Joe Gibbs Racing driver out in the final turn before getting past the checkered flag. After the race, a visibly upset Joey Logano was seen driving up to Austin Dillon’s pit box, revving his engine and spinning his tires aggressively in front of Dillon’s wife and child. The incident could also be scrutinized by NASCAR, with a hefty fine on the horizon if the sanctioning body finds Joey Logano guilty of driving dangerously on the pit road.

Speaking after the race, Elton Sawyer, NASCAR’s vice president of competition, told Bob Pockrass, “Our sport has been a contact sport for a long time. You always hear, ‘Where’s the line, did someone cross the line?’ I would say the last lap was awful close to the line, we’ll take a look at all of the available resources from audio to video, listen to spotters, we’ll listen to crew chiefs and drivers and if anything rises to a level that we feel like we need to penalize then we’ll do that on Tuesday.”

With Tuesday having come and gone, NASCAR’s hesitation in handing in a verdict about the controversial incidents at Richmond Raceway hasn’t gone down well with fans. According to journalist Jeff Gluck, the decision has been postponed to Wednesday, with officials taking their time to comb through all the data at their disposal before concluding.

However, that hasn’t stopped fans from voicing their opinion about the delay on social media, with many expressing their frustration at not getting a closure after the events at Federated Auto Parts 400.

NASCAR’s delay in handing out the verdict gets a backlash

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It didn’t take long for fans to make their voices heard after NASCAR’s delay in announcing its ruling became public. According to one fan, the sanctioning body had a straightforward verdict to make, with ample evidence at their disposal to come to a sound conclusion. Writing on X (formerly known as Twitter), the fan wrote, “Nothing to sort through. The eye test, SMT, radio, and comments post-race all make this pretty obvious. Encumbered win. Keep the trophy and the purse, lose the points and the playoff berth.”

According to one fan, the sanctioning body’s delay in announcing a verdict was highlighting their incompetence. Emphasizing the need to come up with timely conclusions to controversial incidents, the fan wrote, “If they can’t decide within 48 hours, let alone before they leave the track, forget the penalty unless it’s a complex “never before seen” tech issue. Just makes it look worse.” Echoing that sentiment, another fan cynically expressed, “you know it’s nascar when anything gets postponed lmfao”.

With many current and former drivers, as well as team spotters, having their podcasts on Spotify, one fan expressed his views that the organization was looking for external validation to reach a verdict after the controversy at Richmond Raceway. The fan wrote, “Nah they just wanted to hear what everyone on the podcasts had to say so then they can form their opinion. You know NASCAR can’t make one on their own.”

Another fan expressed his lack of faith in the way NASCAR handles such matters, going on to say, “Nascar is like the special series of racing slow on calls and always behind on advancements, and when they do make changes or calls they are only about half right and way too late.”

Do you think Austin Dillon will face a penalty for the incidents at Richmond Raceway? Let us know in the comments!