The debate around NASCAR’s rules regarding intentional wrecks is getting heated by the hour. A lot of frustration has built up for the teams that got affected by the misdemeanor that brought Austin Dillon to the victory lane. It is never easy to lose, but that’s the whole point of the sport.

Denny Hamlin appeals that accepting losses without malice is important for a respectable future of the sport. Else, there won’t be any racing left. In the interest of the sport, Richard Childress needs to acknowledge that the entire team was at fault for the circus at the Richmond Raceway.

Denny Hamlin is astonished about the fact that RCR believes it won the legitimate way

Competitive racing is exactly what you expect in NASCAR. But that is not to say that drivers can just wreck their way into the NASCAR Playoffs. There has got to be a proper code of conduct and it should be followed. To Denny Hamlin’s dismay, there is such a code in place, but the same is not being implemented in the given circumstance.

Rather than losing, it pains Hamlin to see that the driver who destroyed two exceptional driver’s races is being celebrated. “Well, he gets rewarded for it, the team, the season was terrible and he saw this is just the easy way out, and I’m gonna take it. Oh, well. But these guys are celebrating like they won the World Series and think like they did something that was admirable. Like it’s not.”

It is easy to believe that Austin chose the easier path because he was desperate for the win. But what’s complicated is that the win was at the expense of the race leader who used his skill to stay ahead. The worst part is that the winning team does not want to accept the fact that it was a team call to wreck the cars before the finish.

Jared Allen asked Denny Hamlin on the Actions Detrimental podcast whether he thinks that the spotter, whom he calls the Devil’s Advocate, has a role to play in the entire fuss. Hamlin responds, “Yes. I’m starting to be more and more of the vote that get rid of these stupid spotters, man. BBC might not like it and I know it can’t happen because we have superspeedways and for the safety thing. But they’ve got to STFU, man.”

The means chosen by Dillon, as dictated by the spotter, to win the race is just wrong in plain sight. There’s no way it should be ignored and the burden is on NASCAR to keep the trust of the Cup Series participants. “But, I just don’t agree with the avenue that he chose. And I think it’s wrong and I think the rule book says it’s wrong and it’s up to our sport to lay the foot down and say ‘This is unacceptable’. They do it everywhere; every series officiates these kinda things to keep us within bounds,” said the professional racer.

There are rules to keep that they play in check and that’s what makes it fair. And it’s the job of the authorities to enforce these rules. But there was also a debate over whose fault was it between Hamlin and Austin’s contact.

Did Denny Hamlin go up the track and cause the collision that sent him into the wall?

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Without a proof, both the aspects of the final chase can be taken into consideration. Some perceived it to be Hamlin’s fault while others believed the fault lay with Dillon. But we have the technology to know for sure and needn’t ponder over it in our heads. So, while it seemed initially that Hamlin might have missed caused the collision in a bid to overtake Dillon, the SMT data confirmed that it was Dillon who hooked Hamlin from the right rear.

Looking back at the incident, Hamlin remarks, “It’s a shame that the wins are gonna get tainted by this because I had a legitimate win coming.” Being able to take the beating is as important as winning when you actually respect and are passionate about your sport. These tactics come into play when athletes “don’t have real talent” and they know it.

Austin won the race by crook, and everyone has taken note. Now, NASCAR has to decide whether it will tolerate such undermining behavior or discipline the driver and the team to set a precedent.