Who… should you be talking about after the race?
If you didn’t have Austin Dillon on your short list of contenders to win the Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway, you aren’t alone.
Dillon qualified sixth, his best since starting fifth at Talladega Superspeedway in April. He showed that he had good speed throughout the day, and took the lead with 28 laps to go, passing Denny Hamlin for the top spot. From there, Dillon opened a convincing lead before a tangle between Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Ryan Preece with two to go set up a final round of pit stops to put on a set of the softer, faster tires NASCAR had on offering this week.
Joey Logano got by Dillon on the final restart, clearing him and taking the white flag. Dillon couldn’t get close enough to attempt a pass but did get close enough to get into Logano’s bumper, turning him, and then, after Hamlin squeezed by them both, turned down into Hamlin’s right rear, sending him hard into the outside wall. Dillon held off Hamlin and Tyler Reddick to take the win — and an unexpected playoff spot.
And don’t forget Bubba Wallace. Wallace put together his another strong full-race effort on Sunday, qualifying eighth and running in the top 10 and top five for much of the race. He finished fifth and eighth in the opening stages and scored some much-needed points as he fights for a playoff spot with three races remaining in the regular season. Wallace finished fourth on the day, his second top five in the last two races.
What… is the big question leaving this race in the rearview?
NASCAR tried something different to spice up the racing at Richmond after tire strategy was a major factor in the spring race at Bristol Motor Speedway, giving teams two different tire compounds to use during the race. Did the option tire work as advertised and should it become a regular thing?
Yes, it worked. It didn’t drastically alter the way the race played out (and that shouldn’t have been the expectation), but it gave teams a way to create their own destinies. The softer option tire had more grip and was much faster than the regular tire, but didn’t last as long before speeds fell off.
Because teams used different game plans with the tires, there were a couple of players who otherwise might not have been in the conversations.
So yes, NASCAR should absolutely look at tire options for future races. There are several ways that could look, but the opting at Richmond absolutely helped some teams and made the race more interesting. Good call on this one, NASCAR.
Where… did the other key players wind up?
Pole winner Hamlin is a master at Richmond and had a great car. He led the first 45 laps before getting passed by teammate Christopher Bell for the lead. Hamlin was never far from the front all day, leading seven times for a race-high total of 124 laps. He was also in solid position on the final restart to take advantage of a mistake by Dillon or Logano. He proved it by passing Dillon after he spun Logano. Dillon hooked him out of the lead to still finish second, but Hamlin was the better driver on the day.
Defending race winner Chris Buescher qualified well, starting seventh. An early pit miscue under green was Buescher’s undoing for the day. A loose wheel meant Buescher had to stop and back up as he was leaving his pit, costing him a lap on track. Buescher did get back on the lead lap, but finished a disappointing 18th, his playoff hopes now in jeopardy with the Dillon win.
Daniel Suarez and Michael McDowell were the first to pull the trigger on the faster option tire. From the get-go, it was obvious how much speed the tire had, with the question mark being how long the advantage would last. As it turned out, the softer tire was at its best for about 35 laps — which was plenty for Suarez to take the lead. The No. 99 was running midpack prior to the tire change and Suarez was able to use the strategy to win the second stage and to stay in contention, finishing a solid 10th.
McDowell finished 15th, also a better finish than he might have had otherwise, after losing a lap early before getting the free pass before the tire change.
When… was the moment of truth?
It’s impossible to separate Dillon’s win with the way he won it. Desperate for a playoff spot (and 32nd in points entering the weekend), Dillon had a great car, but didn’t have enough for Logano on the final restart. So, he resorted to the bumper. And then when Hamlin passed him, he did it again, goaded by his team.
Dillon said afterwards that he’s not the first driver to move the leader for a win.
He’s not wrong that moving the leader isn’t new, but there’s a big difference between moving another driver up the track (as Dillon said Logano and Hamlin have done) and intentionally wrecking not one, but two drivers between him and the checkered flag. Other drivers had a lot to say about Dillon’s win afterwards, most of it (deservedly) less than flattering.
Dillon’s move was dirty driving. While he’s not the first to make moves like that to win, the playoffs have put more pressure on drivers to make desperate moves, and by allowing it, NASCAR is setting up for more ugly intentional wrecking for wins. And eventually, somebody is going to get hurt. It’s time to draw the line between a bump and run and bowling for trophies.
Why… should you be paying attention this week?
With no more weekends off, it’s crunch time heading to Michigan. For teams outside the playoff picture or on the bubble, there are just three chances left to make the cut.
For the teams already in the title hunt, there are three weeks left to find the speed and momentum they need to start the playoffs in a position to at least stay in the field if not contend out of the box.
Michigan International Speedway is next up on the dance card. Buescher is the most recent MIS winner and is joined by Ryan Blaney and Logano with wins in the last five years.
Thanks to a dominant Kevin Harvick, there aren’t a lot of drivers with MIS wins in recent years. Kyle Larson is the only other current active driver with a victory there in the last decade. That either gives an advantage to Buescher, Blaney, Logano and Larson, or makes it a wide-open race for someone else to make a playoff grab as the 11th hour looms.
How… many winless drivers have a legit chance of winning their way into the playoffs in the next three weeks?
Setting aside that Daytona International Speedway is such a crapshoot that just about anyone has a chance there, realistically, it’s probably down to a small handful of longshots.
Martin Truex Jr. shouldn’t be a longshot, but here we are. He’s had speed, only to have terrible luck, or problems on pit road — whatever it has been continues to take the wind out of Truex’s sails. Still, he’s got speed and experience on his side.
Buescher is hovering around the cut line but isn’t safe by any stretch. He does have a win at Michigan, the track that’s probably his best shot at carrying a win into the playoffs. Wallace has had speed recently, but it hasn’t been consistent
And Kyle Busch? He hasn’t shown that he’s got anything to make a run at a win. But even through the struggles, it’s impossible to count him out simply because he’s Kyle Busch.
Amy is an 20-year veteran NASCAR writer and a six-time National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) writing award winner, including first place awards for both columns and race coverage. As well as serving as Photo Editor, Amy writes The Big 6 (Mondays) after every NASCAR Cup Series race. She can also be found working on her bi-weekly columns Holding A Pretty Wheel (Tuesdays) and Only Yesterday (Wednesdays). A New Hampshire native whose heart is in North Carolina, Amy’s work credits have extended everywhere from driver Kenny Wallace’s website to Athlon Sports. She can also be heard weekly as a panelist on the Hard Left Turn podcast that can be found on AccessWDUN.com's Around the Track page.