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, taking part in the fictional crew chief Harry Hogge (who everyone knows was the real-life Harry Hyde), within the NASCAR film Days of Thunder. And perhaps 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 positively ‘within the air’ for that last restart in Richmond on Sunday evening.
Trendy-day NASCAR has at all times been concerning the present as a lot as the game, and this was a kind of events the place the 2 butted heads. A late yellow regarded 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 time beyond regulation restart. “If he will get to him, there shall be contact,” mentioned 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 laborious 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 group boss.
Let’s get one factor straight: The gang on web site liked it. Despite the fact that Hamlin is a Virginia native, he’s turn into one thing of a villain lately for myriad causes. Logano, too, is somebody who’s by no means been backwards in allotting some on-track rough-housing.
Whereas racing purists took to their social media channels of option to clutch their pearls, the vast majority of NASCAR followers in the home had been whooping and hollering their approval of the entire drama.
Seeing the No. 3 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet barge its option 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 had 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 complete 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 Images
“We’re by no means, ever gonna get taken critically as a sport”
Hamlin makes a terrific level that NASCAR’s lack of officiating of its drivers signifies that the present versus sport ratio may be very a lot tilted in favor of ‘the present’. Its method may be very a lot “have at it” till it crosses an undefined line of conduct.
Now, one line that has been marked lately is the deliberate hooking of rivals. NASCAR has set a precedent that such strikes shall 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 yr earlier than.
Hamlin, who’s turn into one of many sport’s most outspoken drivers lately, identified: “We’re making an attempt to fabricate all these moments and once we do it and we glance foolish like tonight… your sport has mud on its face. However I feel there’s most likely folks 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 shedding facet of Austin Dillon’s ‘foul’ transfer
He additionally identified that this units a foul instance for younger drivers developing by means of inventory automobile racing’s ranks, in addition to the grass roots sequence 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? After we lose sight of that, I don’t know what we’re doing anymore…
“That is as much as NASCAR to do the correct factor. Sooner or later we’re going to must 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 sequence, what are we?”
Going again to that Dale Sr. conflict with Waltrip at Richmond in ’86, which occurred with three laps to go and prompted 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 nice line between laborious racing and reckless driving, and Earnhardt clearly stepped over that line Sunday. We merely can not tolerate or condone such actions. We should protect the integrity of our sport.”
Here 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 method 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 needs as of late! This was a make-or-break victory for Dillon’s season, his group 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 Images
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 contemplate that Richmond’s quick monitor standing mitigates any danger of endangering a rival driver, and that it was a split-second response on a last-corner deal.
May Dillon get a nice or factors deduction for a mix of hooking Hamlin and that “wreck him!” radio instruction? Yeah, I’d suppose they could do one thing, perhaps his spotter will get his laborious card pulled for some time… Though it was a brief monitor, listening to Hamlin say the impression “blew my rattling shoulder out” reveals that hooking ought to carry some type of sanction and carries a danger 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 precise revenge in Michigan subsequent weekend? Hell yeah! Identical to Ross Chastain’s ‘Hail Melon’ transfer at Martinsville, this one shall be replayed time and again.
From NASCAR’s viewpoint, that is so good for enterprise. On some days, the game actually does come second.
