Hamlin crossed the line fifth, but was scored second due to the timing of the caution. Dillon entered Richmond 32nd in the regular season points, but Sunday’s victory has vaulted him into the playoffs and ensures that he will not end the year any lower than 16th.
“We’re never ever gonna get taken seriously as a sport because we have no real officiating,” lamented Hamlin in a post-race media scrum.
“I knew the No. 3 [Dillon] was going to do something silly in [Turn] 3. I saw him driving in. He wasn’t going to stop until he hit the No. 22 [Logano].
A product of the championship format
Hamlin went on to blame the current format, which incentivizes winning over everything else. “We’re trying to manufacture these types of moments and when we do it and we look silly like tonight … your sport has mud on its face. But I think there’s probably people in Daytona [NASCAR headquarters] who love this shit and they’re the ones who are sending this sport backwards.”
As for the move itself, Hamlin declared that “it’s obviously foul. It’s fair in NASCAR. We’re just a different league, right? There are no penalties for rough driving or anything like that. It opens up the opportunity for Austin to be able to just do whatever he wants.”
Austin Dillon, Richard Childress Racing, Chevrolet Camaro
Photo by: Danny Hansen / NKP / Motorsport Images
While spinning Logano was ugly, the right-hook that sent Hamlin careening into the outside wall is even more problematic. NASCAR has set a precedent that moves like that can and will be penalized. Chase Elliott was suspended for one race after hooking Hamlin into the outside wall during the 2023 Coke 600, and Bubba Wallace was parked for a similar move on Kyle Larson the year before.
“The problem I had, I got hooked in the right rear again. I’m just minding my business. He turned left and hooked me in the right rear. Blew my damn shoulder out,” said Hamlin.
Although NASCAR doesn’t penalize dirty driving unless it becomes an obvious safety issue, Hamlin still believes that a line was crossed, but added: “It’s an invisible line. It’s not defined. I mean, they have rules and provisions for stuff like this, but they never take action for it.
“What happens is you see young guys coming up in the short track ranks seeing that, and they think it’s fine. That’s why we see some of the lower series turn out the way they do in these green-white-checkered situations because some of the best that they’re…
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