What a sham. Sunday night’s Cook Out 400 ended in controversy as Austin Dillon steamrolled through two competitors to pick up the win. Honestly, the ending of the race is a shame for NASCAR, Austin Dillon, and fans at large. Prior to the overtime restart, Dillon’s win would have been an underdog win that featured the 3 car back in victory lane. Sure, there would be gripes with the playoff indications and some fans agonizing that it would prolong Dillon driving the 3 car. However, the win would mostly been viewed as a net positive. Now, this week turns into the latest controversy for NASCAR. Should NASCAR penalize Dillon for driving like a 13-year old playing NASCAR Heat? Where is the line drawn at what are acceptable actions for a “race winning” move? One thing is clear: there is no one to blame but NASCAR for this.
While there are some segments of the fanbase and media that is going overboard with pearl clutching, NASCAR’s history is rich with rough, aggressive driving. For many, it is the allure of the sport. While F1 and IndyCar regulate bumping fenders, NASCAR actively encourages (and markets) it. It might be from a movie, but the phrase rubbin’ is racing is a hallmark of NASCAR. What else would you expect from a series originated from moonshiners? However, Austin Dillon’s actions are a step too far. Sure, Dale Earnhardt famously pulled a similar move to Terry Labonte at the same track in the same car. Yet, the second wrecking maneuver is truly what pushes all of it into the egregious territory.
Once? Sure. Twice? No
For some, Austin Dillon’s divebomb, right hook combo should be celebrated. Is it entirely based on who the recipients of said moves are? Well, yes. Imagine the outrage if Dillon drove through Kyle Larson then hooked Chase Elliott into the fence. Dillon would have needed a disguise to leave the track.
Whether it is the two most or least popular drivers, that should not factor into calling out detrimental actions when they occur. Austin Dillon drove into Turn 3 with no chance at making the corner without the assistance of Logano’s rear end. Once he took care of Logano, his poor entry set himself up for Denny Hamlin to scoot on by. In order to save the win, Dillon turned down onto Hamlin to clean up both race winning competitors in mere seconds.
Before going forward, yes, Hamlin did mildly move up the track coming out of Turn 4. No, that is not him spinning himself out on Dillon. Despite what Hamlin haters might want to believe, physics still exist and Hamlin had to finish his exit. Plus, SMT data demonstrates a hard left hand turn by Dillon to initiate contact with Hamlin.
We then see Hamlin appearing to stay low likely in an attempt to avoid contact with Dillon. He appears to be taking an even tighter line to the inside than the ghost car showing Dillon's earlier lap. pic.twitter.com/rwPxvWjovX
— Bozi Tatarevic (@BoziTatarevic) August 12, 2024
Now, the initial move to Joey Logano is acceptable. Busch league and dirty? Oh absolutely. Demonstrative of a desperate man trying to right a terrible season? Yep. However, still within the acceptable guidelines that fans can accept. Divebombs are seen frequently, including by Logano himself (most recently at Darlington in 2022). With Logano’s shady history on the matter, most would have accepted the move plus Logano’s displeasure with it.
However, the same cannot be said for the right rearing of Denny Hamlin. Whether it is a short track, superspeedway, or road course, right rearing a car should not be acceptable. No matter if it is for the win, a right rear spin should not only be frowned upon, but NASCAR should take action against it. However, that would rely on NASCAR staying consistent.
NASCAR’s Reaction
After the race, NASCAR’s Vice President of Competition Elton Sawyer commented on Austin Dillon’s chaotic dash to the win. He said that it came “up against the line” of what is okay to do along with a statement that NASCAR will review it this week. Penalties are usually reserved for Tuesday. However, Sawyer essentially approved of the move by carefully stating it did not cross the line. Could NASCAR decide to slap Dillon with some form of punishment after the fact? Yes, but it is unlikely that it will matter one iota moving forward.
For an actual condemnation of Dillon’s actions, a reckless driving penalty should have been enforced against the driver of the 3 car. That violation comes with a 2 lap penalty, which would have stripped Dillon of the win and awarded it to Denny Hamlin. Unless the driver is Layne Riggs, NASCAR has been unwilling to assess that penalty recently. Carson Hocevar did not receive it for spinning out Harrison Burton under caution. Chase Elliott failed to receive one after intentionally wrecking Hamlin in last year’s Coca-Cola 600. Granted, Elliott’s race was over when the incident occurred. However, ask yourself if you really think NASCAR would have assessed that penalty if Elliott was able to continue.
No Prevention
Barring a complete surprise from NASCAR, nothing that the sanctioning body will hand out on Tuesday (or Wednesday) will serve as a deterrent from others doing the same thing. NASCAR could fine Dillon $1 million and suspend him for the remainder of the regular season but it would not matter. As long as Dillon and the 3 team are still in the playoffs, it was well worth it.
This is why you cannot be too angry with Dillon for the move. If NASCAR essentially allows this behavior, why not do it? Sure, there is the ethical dilemma about using the car as battering ram. Still though, Cup Series racing is a business as much as it is a sport. Winning matters. Not only does that win put Dillon and the 3 team in the playoffs, it boosts their winnings at season’s end with a better points finish, raises moral for an organization stuck in drama, and attracts valuable attention. While some distain Dillon for the perceived nepotism of his ride, there is an immense pressure for him to perform. It might not be the form of job security, but Dillon will take over for his grandfather one day. Pulling those race winning moves solidifies an attitude that will win over his future employees.
Yes, there is backlash against Austin Dillon, Richard Childress, and the entire organization. Media members actively scorned the post race presser for the ludicrous lack of accountability for the moves. However, it is all worth it. At the end of the day, NASCAR will not strip the win from Dillon. They will serve some penalty to him on Tuesday or Wednesday. Even if it is a suspension for right rearing Hamlin, it will likely come with the farcical wavier that everyone receives, which effectively neuters the point of the suspension.
Hail Melon vs. Dillon Destruction
Desperate moves for playoff implications are not new to NASCAR. Since the inception of the elimination style/win-and-in playoff format, drivers have done drastic things to get into/advance in the playoffs. Joey Logano wrecked Matt Kenseth for a win in Kansas. Kevin Harvick wiped out the field at Talladega. Ryan Newman used Kyle Larson into the wall at Phoenix. Again, Harvick tried to use his car as a bulldozer to wreck Kyle Busch for a spot at Martinsville. Even this season, Michael McDowell attempted a slide job move at New Hampshire that had no chance of succeeding. Yet out of all these wrecking moves, only one has been outright banned by NASCAR: the Hail Melon.
Ross Chastain’s last lap Hail Mary at Martinsville in 2022 is the only move that NASCAR has deemed worthy of making a rule for. Ignore the fact that the Hail Melon has been used in almost every piece of NASCAR marketing since, NASCAR made it a point to ban it from potential future use. Kyle Larson even said the move was “not a good look for [the] sport“. Yet, wrecking others to win or advance in the playoff is okay?
Outside of being banned, what is the key difference between the previously mentioned actions and the Hail Melon? Only the Hail Melon did not involve wrecking or using up another driver to pull it off. The entirety of the danger and risk (both physical and strategically) is on the driver. Chastain did not wreck, touch, or bump another driver until he pushed Brad Keselowski’s bumper crossing the finish line. But still, the Hail Melon had to be outlawed for the sanctity of the sport or something. Meanwhile, even a Dillon penalty will likely not lead to a changing of the rulebook. It will still be down to NASCAR’s digression to penalize rough driving rather than a black and white rule.
Blame the Format, Not Austin Dillon
While much of the ire is aimed at Austin Dillon, he is not to blame for this. Yes, he was the driver who decided to make both moves. However, all of the incentives are there for him to do this. NASCAR decided it needed this type of drama in the sport. In one race, Dillon went from the third worst full time driver in the field to finishing at worst 16th in points. With the Cook Out 400 win, Dillon is now a playoff driver. Is that not asinine? The third worst driver is now making the playoffs off of one good race.
This is where NASCAR’s playoff system fundamentally fails, especially considering other sports. Austin Dillon being a playoff driver is equivalent to the Colorado Rockies “earning” a playoff birth because they swept the Los Angeles Dodgers in a series. On top of all the nonsense that went into the finish, the end result still proves how much of a sham the playoff system is in NASCAR.
Sport vs Entertainment
Before Ricky Stenhouse Jr and Ryan Preece brought out the only natural yellow of the race, Austin Dillon was on his way to a well earned victory. However, that victory would still be sour because of the playoff implications. Dillon is not a deserving competitor for the 16-driver playoff. One fantastic weekend should not put the third worst performer in a position to win the season-long championship. All of this delegitimizes the sport. From the blatant wrecking to the “underdog” stories of undeserving playoff drivers, this is what NASCAR wants. To all the naysayers, it is noise to the entertainment business NASCAR is running. Do not expect any serious change.
