With the NASCAR Playoffs quickly approaching, drivers on the outside looking in are willing to do almost anything to win a race and earn their spot in the postseason. And while NASCAR is the world’s most lenient series when it comes to drivers wrecking each other to take the checkered flag, hardly anybody has taken it as far as Austin Dillon did Sunday night in Richmond.
Dillon, sitting well outside the playoff cut-off, knew he needed a victory to qualify for the postseason. And after leading late, a caution with under 2 laps to go put his winning chances in doubt. After being beaten on the restart cleanly by Joey Logano, his hopes were fading fast. So what did Dillon do? Heading into turn 3, he plowed straight into Logano.
Incredibly, Dillon didn’t stop there. After being passed by Denny Hamlin he also hooked the #11 car into the fence to cross the finish line first in one of the wildest (and most controversial) finishes in NASCAR history.
Dillon didn’t shy away from his tactics in his post-race victory interview and he likely knows that payback from both Hamlin and Logano is coming. When Logano was asked on pit road in the post-race interview, he let his uncensored feelings be known.