Dillon Appeals Penalty For Tangling With Logano NASCAR Ford

Richard Childress Racing (RCR), the team that fields the No. 3 Chevy Camaro ZL1 for Austin Dillon in the Cup Series, announced that it will attempt to appeal the penalties assessed after Richmond. Dillon was nailed for intentionally wrecking the No. 22 NASCAR Ford Mustang Dark Horse of Joey Logano and the No. 11 Toyota TRD Camry of Denny Hamlin on the last lap.

According to a report from NASCAR.com, RCR dropped the news on social media shortly after the penalties were announced. As a reminder, Dillon’s victory at Richmond stands, but his Playoff eligibility as a result of the victory has been rescinded, meaning he does not retain his Playoff berth. His team was was also deducted 25 driver and owner points in the respective championships. The No. 3 team spotter, Brandon Benesch, was also suspended for three races after telling Dillon to “wreck him” while racing Logano and Hamlin.

“Richard Childress Racing is very disappointed in NASCAR’s penalty against the No. 3 team,” RCR stated on X. “We do not agree with the decision that was made and plan to appeal.”

NASCAR indicated that the appeal will be heard by the National Motorsports Appeals Panel on a date that has not yet been announced.

Logano, who was obviously upset after being spun from the lead, was also penalized for his postrace actions. He spun the tires of his No. 22 NASCAR Ford in front of Dillon’s pit, where his crewmembers and family were gathered. As a result, Logano was fined $50,000 for violating the safety regulations on Pit Road. Logano and his team, Penske Racing, have not announced intent to appeal his fine at this time.

The decision to pull Dillon’s Playoff spot leaves four Playoff berths up for grabs over the next three races before the field of 16 championship-eligible drivers is decided. The next race is at Michigan International Speedway on August 18^th, 2024.

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