It’s almost been a week since the Cookout 400 and the NASCAR community is still talking about the race. Austin Dillon took the win, but it did not come without considerable damage to other teams. Joey Logano was the biggest sufferer in this situation, as he was wrecked from being the race leader to finishing P19. Denny Hamlin saw the crash and tried to take advantage of the situation by attempting an overtake; however, Dillon had other plans for him.
The No. 3 Richard Childress Racing driver wrecked Hamlin while exiting the last turn of the race, which threw the JGR driver to P3 while crossing the finish line. Whether what Dillon did was fair or not is up to debate, and that’s exactly what the NASCAR community has been discussing. Austin Dillon’s controversial win at the Cookout 400 at Richmond has sparked a variety of reactions from fellow NASCAR drivers, and here’s what they had to say

NASCAR drivers share their thoughts on Austin Dillon’s controversial win

The Richmond race was pretty uneventful until the final turn to the finish. Wrecking cars on the way to the finish line is not the best way to win, but considering how RCR has been performing this year, Dillon thought outside the box to claim a playoff spot. Although he was granted the win, he was stripped of a chance to compete among the top 16 drivers.
Ever since the win, many drivers have been asked about what such a win means for NASCAR. The main topic at hand is: Is it okay to drive like Dillon did during the last turn to be able to score a race win? When Austin Cindric was asked the question, he revealed that he sees the situation as somewhat speculative but recognizes the need for clarity regarding what crosses the line in terms of driving behavior.

Cindric said, “I think in the next month, that line will become pretty crystal clear. I think we will have a better understanding.” Cindric is keen on having NASCAR explain the situation clearly to the drivers so they know what actions are acceptable: “From NASCAR’s side, the better that it can be described to us on why this crossed the line… what’s below that limit?”
Ross Chastain was more matter-of-fact about the situation, as he explained that Dillon’s driving didn’t change much for him. He commented, “It looks like they got some grease there, but it doesn’t change how I’m driving here.” Chastain seems to view the incident as just another part of the sport, emphasizing that for his team, “It’s just points.” Although it was just a one-position difference for most of the grid, the fact that Logano was wrecked from leading the race makes it clear that the repercussions of Dillon’s actions differ from driver to driver.

Bubba Wallace was next to talk about the incident, as he acknowledged that the situation was different but somewhat netted out the same in terms of points and money. He stated, “This one was different in the same category as retaliation… It somewhat nets out the same, kind of.” Being on the line for making the playoffs, Wallace made it clear that he did not see Dillon’s performance as worthy of making it into the playoffs, as he has been driving relatively safer than the Cookout 400 winner.

More comments from NASCAR drivers about the Cook Out 400 winner’s driving

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Chris Buescher took a more philosophical approach, explaining that it wouldn’t change how he races. He said, “It’s not going to change anything for how we’re approaching these races… It’s not how I grew up in this thing.” Buescher is focused on maintaining his style of racing and not letting incidents like this affect his approach.

With a similar mindset came Erik Jones, who firmly disagreed with Dillon’s actions, stating he wouldn’t have done the same. “No, no, not a chance… It’s just not the way I race,” said Jones, who made it clear that he wasn’t the one to cause intentional wrecks. Jones shared a page from his playbook, saying, “I really don’t think I could do that.”
Last up was Michael McDowell, who believes that NASCAR should have taken action to set a precedent. He said, “I think it does open it up for free games, at least for a short period of time. I do feel like they should have done something.” However, he also empathized with Dillon’s mindset, acknowledging, “I totally understand where Austin was coming from and why he did it.” 

Austin Dillon had nothing to lose, as being P32 in the standings before Richmond left no scope for him to make it to the playoffs. The fact that he knew that his team was not performing as they would like to led him to take a gamble, and now he is waiting to see if it was one that got him a spot or not.

Each driver offers a different perspective on the incident, and although NASCAR has decided to take away his playoff spot, the final ruling is yet to be made. What do you think about Dillon’s driving at the Richmond Raceway? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.