Austin Dillon’s controversial maneuver to clinch victory at the NASCAR Cup Series race in Richmond has ignited a firestorm of debate. In a dramatic last-lap move, Dillon left Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin in the dust, wrecking them in his relentless pursuit of the checkered flag. What he thought would be a triumphant moment, securing his spot in the playoffs, has instead become a lightning rod for criticism across the sporting world.

NASCAR, unlike many other sports, operates in full view of the public, with team radios broadcasting the raw, unfiltered reality of race strategy. This transparency, usually a hallmark of the sport, turned into a double-edged sword for Dillon and his crew after Sunday’s controversial finish. The words exchanged over the airwaves painted a vivid picture of the chaotic and contentious final moments.

But it was the post-race radio communication from team owner Richard Childress to his grandson that truly set tongues wagging. “Pop Pop’s proud of you,” Childress declared, a phrase meant to celebrate but instead fueling the controversy. For many, including Large from Rubbin is Racing, the celebration rang hollow—how could such a victory be celebrated when it came on the back of wreckage and controversy?

The NASCAR community is divided, with some praising Dillon’s tenacity while others decry the ethics of the move. The incident has become the talk of the town, a heated topic that continues to reverberate through the sport. Was it a masterful display of competitive spirit, or did it cross the line into unsportsmanlike conduct?

Richard Childress is facing the brunt for celebrating a controversial race win

NASCAR took their time and did their due diligence in handing out a verdict to this incident. They announced Thursday that the driver of the No. 3 car will be stripped of his playoffs berth following his actions during the race. Although Dillon kept his win, the team was docked an additional 25 points from the drivers and owners’ championship.

However, the panel on Rubbin is Racing was unaware of this verdict and shared their initial reaction to the events that unfolded during the Richmond race. Large certainly didn’t hold any punches with his words on veteran RCR team owner, “Did Richard come over to the radio and say pop pop is proud of you or something like that? Because if he said that, I could tell you one thing, Richard Childress should shut the f**k up because that’s embarrassing.” He said this on the Rubbin is Racing show via YouTube.

Even Spider was aggrieved with RC, given how he just outright refused to accept Dillon’s spotter radio command to wreck Denny Hamlin. “The only part I didn’t like about it was obviously Richard Childress after the fact, pretending. It was hilarious. I think his line was that you can’t believe everything you see on the internet. Tried to blame it on AI.”

Well, NASCAR had to step in to get their house in order. Thus setting the precedent of not entertaining intentional wrecks by the drivers to get desperate results. However, the drama certainly hasn’t boiled down; rather, Richard Childress Racing will look to appeal the verdict in a bid to get back their playoffs qualification.

RCR is not going down without a fight

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If there was one team that desperately needed a change in their fortunes, it was none other than RCR. A lot had been said about them and how they were treating their star driver, Kyle Busch. Even to an extent, the team is slowly digging Rowdy’s grave, forcing him to retire. All they needed was one result to go their way, and it did at Richmond Raceway, but their joy and celebration were cut short thanks to NASCAR’s ruling.

However, RCR was quick to express its discontent against NASCAR via X. “Richard Childress Racing is very disappointed in NASCAR’s penalty against the No. 3 team. We do not agree with the decision that was made and plan to appeal.” Now, the team has three weeks until the playoffs begin to submit its plea and hope that NASCAR will reconsider its stance.

On the other hand, they can regroup and focus on the upcoming three races and secure a win that would shut down all the noise and drama. And with the Daytona race still in play, Austin Dillon certainly could pull off another big result.