Seven. That was the number of DNFs at the Sonoma Raceway in the NASCAR Cup Series. Blame it on the new repave, extra grip on the track, or simply reckless racing. The fact is that Josh Berry, Justin Haley, Chase Briscoe, Cam Waters, Austin Dillon, Ty Gibbs, and Denny Hamlin didn’t finish their races. The race had its fair share of drama, with Kyle Larson securing his third win of the season and Martin Truex Jr running out of gas, going from second to 27th place in the final lap.

A visibly disgruntled Austin Dillon, who was forced to retire at Sonoma, called out RFK Racing’s part-time driver Cam Waters for being “way over his head” in a post-race interview.

A multi-car collision at Turn 11

Cam Waters would have hoped to have a better debut race at Sonoma. Driving RFK Racing’s #60 Ford Mustang Dark Horse, the Supercars driver was just outside the top 10 in Stage 2 when he was caught up in an incident at Turn 11. It all started when Bubba Wallace had gone off track at Turn 10. When he rejoined from the left, Stewart-Haas Racing’s Josh Berry moved right, going across Erik Jones’ nose. Berry’s No. 4 Ford went on to collide with multiple cars at the Turn 11 hairpin, making contact with Christopher Bell’s #20 Toyota and hitting the side of Martin Truex Jr’s car.

This caused a domino effect, as Truex collided with Cam Waters, who went on to hit Austin Dillon’s No. 3 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. As a result, Dillon’s car spun on track and was seen on fire due to a broken suspension in the right rear. While the incident ended Austin Dillon’s race immediately, Cam Waters continued, gaining three positions to sit comfortably at 31st place after the restart for the third and final stage before being forced into the pit lane.

Speaking after the race to journalist Bob Pockrass, Austin Dillon said, “You know, I was in a really good place strategy-wise it felt like. Tried to come off Turn 7, I was side-by-side with the #99. Then the #23 got him outside, we raced all the through the esses side-by-side. Then the #60, the whole time he was way over his head. He got me into Bubba through Turn 10, three wide going into Turn 11, which we have made it out of that, but yeah.”

On the other hand, the wreck couldn’t dampen Cam Waters’ spirit. Dissecting his run and the multi-car collision, while avoiding naming anyone, the Supercars racer said, “First half of the race went so well, we made 20ish spots and the strategy was working perfectly, unfortunately some contact resulted in some damage to the car which put us out, but not letting that take away from how racey we were, and how enjoyable this whole experience has been. Hopefully I’ll be back!”

Austin Dillon’s race weekend took a hard hit for sure. But that can also ben said for his 2024, which social media users didn’t stop from pointing out.

Fans react to Austin Dillon’s DNF

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NASCAR fans didn’t take long to voice their opinion on social media after Austin Dillon’s race went up in flames (literally). Dillon drives the iconic #3 car for Richard Childress Racing, which was the legendary Dale Earnhardt’s car. Many fans feel that Austin Dillon doesn’t deserve his seat in the NASCAR Cup Series, but has the opportunity to compete because he is Richard Childress’ grandson. With a hint of sarcasm mixed with genuine concern, a fan wrote on X “How long until Austin Dillon loses his ride”.

After The Intimidator’s untimely passing in a last-lap accident during the 2001 Daytona 500, Richard Childress has decided to pull his car number from his racing team. However, come 2014, his grandson Austin Dillon was getting ready for his rookie season in NASCAR’s top tourney. And what better time to bring this iconic car, right? Well, apparently not, because fans were not just displeased but rather fuming. Dale Earnhardt had claimed 67 victories with the #3 RCR vehicle. The legendary racer had also won six of his seven Cup Series championships with the iconic car. So, it’s understandable why the community wouldn’t want the legacy to be passed down to a rookie.

But, on the other hand, Dillon had reportedly gained his stamp of approval from The Intimidator’s son, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Hinting at the same, the 34-year-old driver had said, back in 2013, “I got the approval of the people I felt I needed to get in the seat with the number. I’ve been able to run it for four years now, and have so many good times with it.” Notably, the driver was racing with the #3 since his NASCAR K&N Pro Series East days back in 2008. But his performances have further made things sour.

Currently ranked 30th, Dillon has had a poor season so far, with just two top-10 finishes in 16 races. He hasn’t led a single lap, secured no poles, and is 350 points behind leader Kyle Larson. Reflecting on his poor season and his DNF at Sonoma, one fan wrote, “Austin Dillon and the season from hell”.

Even in the past few years, Dillon hasn’t ranked above 11th in the final standings, with his worst coming last year at 29th.

Even though the incident in Sonoma was not Dillon’s fault in any way, fans were happy that the 34-year-old was forced to retire. Comments like, “He needs to give up lol”, “Thanks Josh Berry”, and “Perfect 👍” reflected the sentiments of a section within the NASCAR fanbase, who feel that Dillon isn’t worthy of his place in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Notably, the racer’s last Cup Series win came at the 2022 Coke Zero Sugar 400. With a dearth of Victory Lane visits, the racer will surely have to buckle up his shoes to turn his fortunes around!

What are your thoughts on the incident that occurred in Sonoma? Let us know in the comments!