Anybody who loves NASCAR is aware of the quote: “He did not slam you, he did not bump you, he did not nudge you… he rubbed you. And rubbin’, son, is racin’”
Actor Robert Duvall uttered these immortal phrases, enjoying the fictional crew chief Harry Hogge (who everyone knows was the real-life Harry Hyde), within the NASCAR film Days of Thunder. And possibly it was simply coincidence that movie’s different star, Tom Cruise, jumped off the roof of the Stade de France within the Olympic closing ceremony simply hours earlier, as a result of one thing was undoubtedly ‘within the air’ for that remaining restart in Richmond on Sunday night time.
Fashionable-day NASCAR has at all times been in regards to the present as a lot as the game, and this was a kind of events the place the 2 butted heads. A late yellow seemed to have value Austin Dillon an important Cup race win, and a prized spot within the playoffs, as Joey Logano drove across the exterior of him to take the lead within the extra time restart. “If he will get to him, there might be contact,” stated NBC’s driver analyst Jeff Buton.
And it got here to go, properly, spin in Logano’s case, as Dillon waited till he’d turned in to Flip 3 to ram his rear bumper and ship him rotating into the wall. Now, Logano has completely pulled so-called ‘bump-and-run’ strikes in his profession and is not any shrinking violet. Though this was extra of a ‘bump-and-fence’, as he spun into the Flip 4 wall, this was inside that “rubbin’ is racin’” mantra.
Watch: Austin Dillon takes the checkered flag after bumps for the lead
However what occurred subsequent actually requested the query if Dillon went past line of what’s acceptable. Identical to Burton, the next Denny Hamlin had foreseen what was coming, so he backed up his entry to ensure he’d get a terrific exit on the low line to grab the win. Together with his spotter screaming “down, down, down, run him down, wreck him!” Dillon had different concepts, and yanked his wheel exhausting left to hook Hamlin’s right-rear quarter panel, which despatched his second sufferer into the fence.
From there, Dillon simply beat Tyler Reddick to the road – who gave him a rear-end slam of his personal after the checkers, having seen Austin simply wreck his crew boss.
Let’s get one factor straight: The group on website cherished it. Regardless that Hamlin is a Virginia native, he’s turn out to be one thing of a villain just lately for myriad causes. Logano, too, is somebody who’s by no means been backwards in shelling out some on-track rough-housing.
Whereas racing purists took to their social media channels of option to clutch their pearls, nearly all of NASCAR followers in the home have been whooping and hollering their approval of the entire drama.
Seeing the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet barge its technique to victory certainly gave them Dale Earnhardt Sr. vibes – as ‘The Intimidator’ was famend for his uncompromising racing fashion. And this, certainly, was the epitome of that – freakishly mirroring a conflict between Dale Sr. and Darrell Waltrip right here in 1986.
What additionally made for excellent TV have been the interviews that got here subsequent, with Logano branding Dillon’s transfer “chickenshit” and occurring so as to add: “He’s a chunk of crap. He sucks. He’s sucked his entire profession and now he’s going to be within the playoffs. Good for him, I assume.”
So, so far as the present goes, it was a large win for NASCAR. However…
Austin Dillon, Richard Childress Racing, Chevrolet Camaro
Photograph by: Danny Hansen / NKP / Motorsport Photographs
“We’re by no means, ever gonna get taken severely as a sport”
Hamlin makes a terrific level that NASCAR’s lack of officiating of its drivers signifies that the present versus sport ratio could be very a lot tilted in favor of ‘the present’. Its strategy could be very a lot “have at it” till it crosses an undefined line of conduct.
Now, one line that has been marked just lately is the deliberate hooking of rivals. NASCAR has set a precedent that such strikes might be penalized: Chase Elliott was suspended for one race after hooking Hamlin into the surface wall through the 2023 Coke 600, and Bubba Wallace was parked for the same transfer on Kyle Larson the 12 months earlier than.
Hamlin, who’s turn out to be one of many sport’s most outspoken drivers lately, identified: “We’re making an attempt to fabricate a lot of these moments and after we do it and we glance foolish like tonight… your sport has mud on its face. However I feel there’s in all probability individuals in Daytona [where NASCAR’s headquarters are located] who love this shit they usually’re those who’re sending this sport backwards.”
Watch: Denny Hamlin particulars the dropping facet of Austin Dillon’s ‘foul’ transfer
He additionally identified that this units a foul instance for younger drivers developing by way of inventory automobile racing’s ranks, in addition to the grass roots collection throughout the nation.
In my thoughts, it was Logano’s crew chief, the often mild-mannered Paul Wolfe, put it greatest when he informed SiriusXM: “It’s as removed from racing as you will get. It’s actually disappointing that NASCAR permits stuff like that to go on. That wasn’t a racing incident, anybody can see that.
“I assume what I’m asking NASCAR is what have we gotten to? Is that this not racing anymore? Once we lose sight of that, I don’t know what we’re doing anymore…
“That is as much as NASCAR to do the precise factor. Sooner or later we’re going to should make the decision as to what’s acceptable or not. Simply flat-out wrecking somebody, that’s not racing.
“So, if we’re not a racing collection, what are we?”
Going again to that Dale Sr. conflict with Waltrip at Richmond in ’86, which occurred with three laps to go and brought on a multi-car pileup, Earnhardt was fined $5,000 by NASCAR and positioned on probation for the remainder of the season.
Invoice Gazaway, NASCAR’s vice-president of competitors again within the day, defined: “There’s a effective line between exhausting racing and reckless driving, and Earnhardt clearly stepped over that line Sunday. We merely can’t tolerate or condone such actions. We should protect the integrity of our sport.”
This is what his present counterpart, Elton Sawyer, needed to say about Sunday’s incident…
Watch: Elton Sawyer: Richmond’s thrilling end was ‘up in opposition to a line’
Conclusion
NASCAR’s strategy of favoring present over sport is at all times going to result in moments of excessive drama like this – as a result of that’s actually what it desires lately! This was a make-or-break victory for Dillon’s season, his crew and his sponsors. Not making the playoffs immediately places your standing, even your profession, in query.
Engineering titles determined by way of playoffs results in a plethora of must-win situations that create storylines for its followers – and in some methods that is completely genius, particularly in a 36-race season – however this creates incendiary moments that threaten the game’s legitimacy and meritocracy.
Austin Dillon, Richard Childress Racing, Chevrolet Camaro
Photograph by: Nigel Kinrade / NKP / Motorsport Photographs
Do I feel Austin Dillon retains his win when the Richmond penalties drop on Tuesday? 100%.
Will he get parked for a race? I doubt it, I feel they’ll take into account that Richmond’s quick observe standing mitigates any threat of endangering a rival driver, and that it was a split-second response on a last-corner deal.
May Dillon get a effective or factors deduction for a mixture of hooking Hamlin and that “wreck him!” radio instruction? Yeah, I’d suppose they may do one thing, possibly his spotter will get his exhausting card pulled for some time… Though it was a brief observe, listening to Hamlin say the influence “blew my rattling shoulder out” exhibits that hooking ought to carry some sort of sanction and carries a threat in any respect tracks.
However will Dillon’s No.3, with its ‘HUNTING SALE’ livery, sell-out as a diecast when it’s launched? And can extra TV viewers be tuning in to see if Logano and Hamlin actual revenge in Michigan subsequent weekend? Hell yeah! Identical to Ross Chastain’s ‘Hail Melon’ transfer at Martinsville, this one might be replayed many times.
From NASCAR’s perspective, that is so good for enterprise. On some days, the game actually does come second.
