A NASCAR driver who was recently penalized for intentionally causing crashes in a race was met with booing from the crowd as he appeared for a separate competition—but he was not dissuaded from the moment.
Austin Dillon has made headlines for his controversial move in an August 18 race held in Richmond, Virginia. During that competition—which held the opportunity for him to automatically qualify for the Cup Series playoffs—he was found to have violated NASCAR rules when he purposely led two other drivers, Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano, to crash.
Following penalties dealt to both him and his team, Dillon was not a welcome site to those attending the Michigan FireKeepers Casino 400. At that race, he was booed by attendees, to which he gave a surprising response. The scrutinized driver blew a kiss to the booing crowd, indicating his lack of remorse and willingness to be known as the bad guy.
The nonchalant reaction does little to reflect the severity of the driver’s punishment, which included revoking his automatic playoff entry and a Driver Standings decrease of 25 points. In the coming week, Dillon and his team plan to appeal the penalties, despite a general agreement from other racers surrounding the disciplinary actions.
Dillon said in response to the punishment that he must “be careful” about what he says about the incident and the penalty “for the appeal process.” He likened the system to “a trial,” which he said he “wish[es] everybody could see” on TV. He added that it “would be cool” to attend the appeal, noting that he has yet to provide his “entire story” of the race in question.
Shortly after this weekend’s race, NASCAR stripped Dillon of his automatic placement in the playoffs, citing his actions on the final lap in Richmond. At this point in the race, the controversial driver forced fellow racer Logano to turn and proceeded to catch Hamlin in a hook. Both moves led to Dillon’s win in the regular season which, under ordinary circumstances, would have left him automatically in the playoffs.
While the driver is still the winner of the Richmond race, NASCAR revoked his automatic entry into the playoffs, leaving him with the responsibility to work his way into qualifying.
The racer reportedly violated a section of the NASCAR rule book which declares a legal race finish must be done “unencumbered by violations” which are “detrimental” to the sport or the governing body of NASCAR, as decided “in the sole discretion” of the organization.
Additionally, five playoff points he should have received for his Richmond victory were taken away. Dillon’s team did not escape scrutiny, either, also related to their moves in the race’s final lap. The Richard Childress Racing (RCR) team was also knocked down on the standings board by 25 points.
Brandon Benesch, the spotter for Dillon, received a three-race suspension thanks to his recommendation—revealed via radio transmission—that his driver intentionally wreck Hamlin while he sought to pass another car just ahead of the finish line.
