Remembering NASCAR’s most infamous Richmond finish

How far is a driver willing to go in order to win their way into the NASCAR playoffs, and at what point does the sanctioning body decide it’s too far? Well, one year ago this week, Austin Dillon answered both of those questions at Richmond Raceway.

NASCAR returns to the Virginia short track on Saturday night, but don’t expect it to match the insanity of last year’s jaw-dropping finish. On August 11th, 2024, Dillon was unexpectedly fast, and appeared to be a legitimate contender for the race win.

He worked his way around Denny Hamlin for the lead in the closing laps of the race, and it was shaping up to be one of the best drives of his career. But with less than two laps to go, the caution flew for a wreck, forcing the race into overtime.

On the restart that followed, Joey Logano got the jump on Dillon and snatched the lead away. It was going to be a heartbreaking loss for Dillon, who needed the win to make the playoffs. He was also facing a winless streak that went back almost two full years.

Chaos and calamity 

But as the leaders entered Turn 3 on the final lap, Dillon drove in far deeper than anyone would dare at Richmond. He didn’t care about making the corner. No, he just wanted to reach the rear bumper of the yellow No. 22 directly in front of him. The SMT data from the race finish makes his intentions very clear.

Logano spun into the wall, but at that point, Dillon was way up the track. He had spun Logano from the lead, but he was still going to lose the race as Hamlin slipped by on the inside. That is when Dillon decided to turn down the track, blatantly hooking Hamlin into the outside and claiming the race win.

“We’re never ever gonna get taken seriously as a sport because we have no real officiating,” said Hamlin in a post-race media scrum. 

Logano was raging, telling the assembled media: “He’s a piece of crap. He sucks. He’s sucked his whole career and now he’s going to be in the playoffs. Good for him, I guess.”

It was a shocking finish, and while NASCAR has always been known for its full-contact nature, even many diehards considered the move to be crossing a line.

Adding to the dark cloud over the finish, an irate Logano was recklessly driving down the pit lane in his damaged car, forcing Dillon’s family to jump out of the way and drawing the fury of NASCAR officials. That resulted in a $50,000 fine for Logano, but what about Dillon?

Well, the win remained, but after several days of deliberations, NASCAR made the unprecedented decision to remove Dillon from the NASCAR Cup playoffs. His actions were egregious enough for them to deny him a playoff berth, all while letting him keep the tainted checkered flag.

Austin Dillon, Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet

Photo by: Sean Gardner / Getty Images

It was a moment that tested the bounds of what is acceptable in the world of stock car racing, and showcased just how desperate drivers and teams are to make the playoffs. Entering this weekend’s race, 19 drivers (including Dillon) face a must-win situation with just two races left in the regular season. There are millions of dollars on the line for any team who can win their way into the postseason, as well as a shot at NASCAR’s biggest prize.