Underneath-fire NASCAR Cup race winner Austin Dillon insists that his spotter’s “wreck him!” name earlier than he collided with Denny Hamlin at Richmond on Sunday evening “didn’t change” what then occurred.
Dillon certified for the playoffs along with his victory however is awaiting NASCAR’s penalty report from the weekend to see if it chooses to penalize him for wrecking each Hamlin and Joey Logano on the remaining corners of the final lap.
NASCAR has delayed its report, which is historically communicated on Tuesdays, as it’s understood to be contemplating a number of circumstances – which can embrace Logano’s wild burnout in entrance of Dillon’s pitstall, the place Austin’s household had congregated.
Dillon argued that he “had the automobile underneath management with the exhausting entry” at Flip 3, when he rammed Logano right into a spin and into the wall.
And it was at that time that his spotter informed him to maneuver down the observe as Hamlin was set to comb previous on his inside, shouting “Down, down, down, run him down – wreck him!” simply earlier than the collision that despatched hooked Hamlin exhausting into the Flip 4 wall.
Talking on in the present day’s episode of Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s podcast, the Dale Jr. Obtain, Dillon mentioned it was the stress of the second that led to that outbust.
“I’m anticipating one thing, clearly,” he mentioned of NASCAR’s upcoming penalty choices. “So far as my spotter, I talked to him, and I actually suppose that feelings had been actually excessive for us, as the three automobile.
“We’ve been beat up and banged up for some time now, and with two laps to go we had a 3s lead at Richmond, and a warning comes out. Now we’re right here speaking about issues that take away from the automobile that we actually had.
“From our spotter, I imagine like he grew to become a fan within the stands on the final lap of Austin Dillon and RCR. He was simply saying what got here to his thoughts within the second and it was mistaken. I’m certain there’s going to be one thing from that.
“However what he was saying didn’t change what occurred in Turns 3 and 4. I’m driving at that time for all it’s value and he’s simply keying the mic, speaking. I do know he’s bummed about that, however he’s had my again by a variety of the tough patches that we’ve had. I can’t fault him from being a fan at that second.”
Denny Hamlin wrecks after contact from Austin Dillon on the remaining flip
Picture by: Danny Hansen / NKP / Motorsport Photographs
Dillon additionally dissected his model of occasions and the way he drove towards Hamlin, throughout one of the crucial controversial endings in NASCAR Cup historical past.
“On exit of Flip 4 at Richmond the observe naturally drives you to the wall whenever you’re working the yellow line,” mentioned Dillon. “Denny’s on that decrease line, and I’ve a very good kinda diamond angle on the observe at this level.
“So, my imaginative and prescient is obvious nonetheless, and my straightest level to the end is about mid-track. Which isn’t optimum for the man developing the observe. Denny mentioned in his podcast that he didn’t even know I used to be there.
“When he got here into my view, he was carrying extra velocity than I’m. If he clears me slightly bit additional, none of this occurs. If he’s half a automobile size additional again, he takes me to the wall and we each crash [there].
“His right-rear catches my left-front. At that time, if I maintain the wheel proper, I’m going [towards the outside wall] so I’m turning to maintain my similar path I’m going.
“The Denny half, I hate it. Denny protected me earlier this yr on his podcast when occasions had been actually robust, once we had been getting wrecked out and never working value a darn for 2 years. Shoot, I’m in his basketball league and I’m purported to play him on Thursday.”
