After two years, the drought is finally over for Austin Dillon as he scored his first win of the season and clinched a spot in the playoffs. But this victory was anything but straightforward, as the drama unfolded with high stakes for both Dillon and the No. 3 Chevrolet team on the last lap.

The season has been a turbulent journey for Richard Childress Racing. With Kyle Busch, a two-time Cup Series champion, struggling to find his rhythm, the pressure mounted to secure a victory in the last four regular-season races. While Busch’s woes persisted with a frustratingly long pit stop, it was Childress’ grandson who stepped up to salvage the campaign. The owner’s reaction? “Pop Pop is proud of you.” But should he have been proud, considering how Dillion won and the instructions he gave to his grandson?

In true NASCAR fashion, RCR was willing to do whatever it took to achieve its first win of the season. So, what did Dillon do? He sent Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin spinning, turning what was supposed to be a straightforward race into a thrilling showdown. The victory might have come with some bumps and bruises, but it made for an unforgettable race. Unforgettable but scandalous. That was because, instead of chastising his grandson for his on-track theatrics, turns out it was Grandfather Childress who gave Dillon those instructions.

The Athletic‘s Jeff Gluck reported that Dillon’s spotter said on the radio, “I don’t care how you do it,” before the No. 3 nose slammed Logano into the wall. The incident occurred in the closing laps after the final overtime of the race when Austin Dillon drove through turns 3 and 4 to charge at the No. 22 Ford Mustang Dark Horse of Joey Logano, who had snatched away the lead from the RCR driver. Following Logano’s wreck, Denny Hamlin‘s No. 11 fell prey to Dillon’s desperation. Supposedly, his spotter shouted, “Wreck him! Wreck him,” before the driver ousted Hamlin from his track position.

All this eventually marked his victory in the famed Richmond Raceway. The No. 3 driver’s victory may have irked his fellow racing drivers, but it was enough for Richard Childress to say, “Pop Pop is proud of you.” After the race, the 34-year-old seemed proud of himself, too. Likely defending his grandfather’s “I don’t care how you do it” message, Dillon said,

“It’s just the rules of the sport, right? Wins get you into the next round. I did what I had to do to cross the start/finish line first.” In fact, he claimed that these incidents with Hamlin and Logano were actually benefitting NASCAR’s online presence: “As far as good for the sport, I heard we were trending No. 1 on Twitter right now. People must be viewing it right now, so that’s good.” But it wasn’t just Dillon who justified his actions. His grandfather stepped in, too.

“I knew what he knew he had to do,” Childress said. “They would have done it to him. It’s one of those deals that when it comes down to winning a race, and you’re in that position, and you’re hungry, you do what it takes. And that’s what I’ve told him all his life.” No matter what he may have told Austin Dillon all his life, the driver’s antics – as well as Childress’ “proud of you” message to Dillon – made livid fans lash out.

Fans believe Austin Dillon should’ve got an “immediate DQ” for his antics

With both Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin missing out on a deserving victory, fans seemed to have seized the opportunity to disapprove of the win the No. 3 driver earned at the Cook Out 400. They also chose to lash out at the team owner for his team’s audacious demands. A fan wrote on X, “RC is so classless.” Had Dillon won fair and square, it would’ve been like redemption. However, the fact that he had to employ the worst of tactics in motorsport – not to mention the dangerous consequences it could’ve had for Hamlin and Logano – didn’t sit right. And neither did Childress’ praise.

“Pop Pop. Cringe…” wrote another user, taking a dig at how the 34-year-old driver presumably refers to his grandfather. A fan slammed the RCR team owner for supporting nepotism: “Richard Childress has destroyed what could have been one of the greatest ownership careers with nepotism and stupidity.” However, this is not the first time fans have raised their concerns over nepotism in NASCAR, especially for Austin Dillon.

While some critics point to ‘nepotism,’ arguing that Dillon enjoys an unfair advantage by driving for Richard Childress Racing, others take issue with him being behind the wheel of the iconic No. 3 car, once driven by NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Sr., believing he can’t live up to that legacy. But in some ways, considering Dale Sr. also occasionally used such tactics to win, reporters asked Dillon if Earnhardt crossed his mind during the race.

“I’ve seen a lot of races with Dale moving guys, p*ssing people off. A lot of people booed him throughout his career… I’m not that,” he said. However, that’s not what fans felt because anger spread like wildfire within minutes of Dillon taking the chequered flag at Richmond Raceway. Some even demanded a disqualification of the driver along with a penalty from the racing authority, “Immediate DQ. How is this not an immediate DQ?” 

“That was chickensh*t,” wrote another, echoing Joey Logano’s words. After the race, the No. 22 driver said, “It’s chicken sh*t. There’s no doubt about it. He’s four car-lengths back, not even close. Then he wrecks the 11 to go along with it… it’s a bunch of B.S. It’s not even freaking close.” Other netizens tried to turn a page back and cite the precedent of the Chase Elliott and Denny Hamlin incident from last year that resulted in one race suspension for Elliott. They commented, “Intentional right hook, no? I mean, holy sh*t.”

Although the race might have brought down its curtains, it will be interesting to see if NASCAR’s governing body takes up the incident, puts it under the lens, and revokes its decision to strip Austin Dillon of his victory. What do you think will happen?