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‘He’s Always Sucked’: Joey Logano, Denny Hamlin & Others React to Austin Dillon’s Moves

RICHMOND, Va. — Tempers flared at Richmond Raceway Sunday night (Aug. 11) after Austin Dillon made some controversial moves to win the Cook Out 400.

Entering turn 3 of the final lap, Dillon got into the back of Joey Logano, sending the No. 22 car spinning into the outside wall. Denny Hamlin then attempted to pass Dillon on the inside coming to the checkered flag, but contact between the two sent the No. 11 hard into the outside wall.

Dillon got the win and a spot in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, but not without drawing ire from many within the garage. Many voiced their displeasure with how Dillon raced, while some defended his actions. Here is what they had to say.

See also
Austin Dillon Clinches Playoff Berth With Win After Last-Lap Melee at Richmond

Joey Logano

“Apparently, it’s OK. What do you want me to say? Apparently, he can come from five car-lengths back and completely wreck someone and then wreck another one to the line, and we’re gonna call that racing. Cool, that’s fun.”

Logano said he had no idea the move from Dillon was coming.

“No, when you get that far ahead — that’s three-to-four car-lengths into [turn] 3. I didn’t even back up the entry. I was like, ‘I’ll just wrap the bottom here, I’m good. And he just drives in so hard. Obviously, he didn’t make the turn because he hit me, and then the No. 11 was going to win the race. He had no intentions to race. I beat him fair and square on the restart, and then he pulls a chicken shit move.

“He’s a piece of crap. The kid, he sucks. He’s sucked his whole career. And now, he’s gonna be in the playoffs and good for him, I guess.”

Will Logano retaliate on Dillon?

“You’re asking me, and I just got out of the car. I don’t know what I’m going to do yet. But I know it’s ridiculous and you can’t stand for it. I can tell you that much. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do next. I obviously got to think about it, but you can’t let shit like that happen.”

Denny Hamlin

“Where is the line, Bob [Pockrass, FOX Sports]? I mean, that’s the thing is we have rules to prevent ridiculous acts, but it’s been a long time since those rules have been enforced. Didn’t Layne Riggs spin someone out and get a two-lap penalty or some bullshit? It’s tough because this is what the young short track racers see and think this is OK because they watched the professionals on Sunday that are supposed to act like adults just do dumb shit. It’s just amazing it’s allowed.

“But I don’t fault [Dillon] because he’s completely desperate, right? He’s [32nd] in points; he jumps 20 spots in points or whatever the hell it is. His season is saved. Now, he’ll have to pay repercussions down the line for this, but it’s so worth it from his standpoint. Because there are no guardrails or rules that say don’t do that, and there is no one in the tower that has any problem with it.

“We’re never ever gonna get taken seriously as a sport, because we have no real officiating.”

Could Hamlin encourage his 23XI Racing driver Bubba Wallace to follow in Dillon’s steps?

“He could just wipe people out to get in, and there are no rules that prohibit it. And we’ve gotten here because of what we’ve set up. We’ve set up eliminations and playoffs and knockouts and one race for a championship. We’re trying to manufacture these types of moments. And when we do it and we look silly like tonight, in my mind, your sport has mud on its face. But I think there are probably people in Daytona who love this shit, and they’re the ones that are sending this sport backwards.”

Hamlin told NBC Sports the wreck “blew my damn shoulder out.”

“I got right-rear hooked. … I don’t know what the Gs were, but it crushed me on the right side.”

… I got an owner that’s pissed off. We just killed a $250,000 racecar. He’s [Joe Gibbs] not happy. I’m not happy. But what am I gonna do to change their minds?”

Paul Wolfe, crew chief for Joey Logano

“It was terrible. … Joey executed a restart perfectly, drove away and then it turned into a mess there in the last corner.”

“NASCAR’s got to do something at some point. That’s up to them. … But letting that go on is not right, no.”

Chris Gabehart, crew chief for Denny Hamlin

“What it looked like was he drove into turn 3 way harder than any car could safely make the corner. His intent wasn’t to make the corner, and he got into the back of the No. 22, and they got into a mess and got way up the hill. The No. 11 turned underneath of him under [turn] 4, because we were at a speed where we could make the corner. And then clearly the No. 3 had regained control and right-reared us. I’ve been racing professionally for 30 years now. There’s no reason to sugarcoat it. That’s what happened.”

Adding to the matter was the team radio communication telling Dillon to “wreck him” as Hamlin was passing him.

“They’ve [NASCAR] certainly set precedent over the last couple of years. You’ve got Chase Elliott at Charlotte with Denny, right-rear hook. You’ve got Bubba Wallace with [Kyle] Larson at Vegas, right-rear hook. You’ve got Carson Hocevar in a Truck race, right-rear hook. They’ve penalized all those guys.

“And listen, NASCAR is in a tough spot. There’s a lot on the line every one of these Cup races. They’ve got to go through data, SMT data, video footage, spotter audio. I’m not going to get into specifics, but there’s going to be plenty of data for them to find that I think will be pretty convincing that this was also an intentional right-rear hook. Yeah, for the integrity of the sport, if that’s what it was deemed that it was, I don’t see how you can let the win stand.”

See also
Thinkin’ Out Loud at Richmond: A Right Hook is a Right Hook

Gabehart was concerned about the long-term implications a finish like the one Sunday could have.

“At some point, it’s either got to be a sport, or it’s got to be wrestling. And those kinds of dangerous moves are deemed acceptable and that’s what you teach young racers coming up, that that’s OK to do. That takes our sport in a really bad place, and frankly, I think it’s already gone a little too far.”

Tyler Reddick

“He [Dillon] dumped the No. 22. He didn’t get in deep enough and then he throttled up and wrecked him. Then, when he realized he wasn’t gonna beat the No. 11 back, he right-hooked him into the fence. Just crazy shit, honestly.”

Reddick heard Logano’s NBC Sports interview on the track PA system right before he was interviewed.

“Yeah, Joey [Logano] stole the words right from me. That’s exactly what that move is: unbelievable. I understand the first one, I guess, on Joey, trying to win the race. I’ve been threatened to be suspended for right-hooking people, and they’ve always taken a pretty hard stand on that.

“… Racing hard for the win is one thing. Just plainly right-hooking somebody is another. That sounds pretty biased coming from me about my boss [Hamlin], but if I was in his spot, I would be pretty upset about it too. They put so much emphasis on winning races, people are going to lose their minds and just do ridiculous stuff.

Bubba Wallace

“I guess you can dump somebody and right-rear somebody and be OK. It’s funny how that works.”

Wallace leaves Richmond three points above the playoff cut line, but making the postseason became even more difficult with Dillon now claiming a spot.

Richard Childress, car owner and grandfather of Dillon

“I knew he [Dillon] knew what he had to do going in. They would’ve done it to him. When it comes down to winning a race and you’re in that position, you’re hungry and you do what it takes. And that’s what I told him all his life.”

Childress had a warning for Logano and Hamlin should either of them try to get payback on Dillon.

“Just prepare yourself is all I can say. It’s a two-way street. You kick a dog, he might bite you, but you might get bit again yourself.”

Childress denied that anyone on his team told Dillon to wreck Hamlin, but that “if he did, spotter did a good job because it won him the race.”

NASCAR Senior Vice President of Competition Elton Sawyer

“Our sport has been a contact sport for a long time. We always hear ‘Where is the line?’ and ‘Did someone cross the line?’ I would say the last lap was also close to the line.

“We’ll take and look at all the available resources, from audio to video, listen to spotters, listen to crew chiefs and drivers. And if anything rises to a level we feel like we need to penalize, then we’ll do that on Tuesday.”

Though it’s probably unlikely NASCAR will take the win away from Dillon, Sawyer didn’t completely rule it out, depending on what it finds in its investigation.

“Historically, it’s not been in our DNA to take races away. But that’s not to say going forward this wouldn’t start to set a precedent, we’d have to look at it.”

About the author

Content Director

Michael Massie joined Frontstretch in 2017 and has served as the Content Director since 2020. Massie, a Richmond, Va., native, has covered NASCAR, IndyCar, SRX and the CARS Tour. Outside of motorsports, the Virginia Tech grad and Green Bay Packers minority owner can be seen cheering on his beloved Hokies and Packers.

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Pat S

Wow that was bad..I remember he won Daytona one year too wrecking Almirola I think it was. I don’t think they should let him keep this or be in the playoffs. It sets a way bad example of terrible sportsmanship and values.

TiminPayson

I agree with Joey: Matt Kenseth

WJW Motorsports

Joey, Denny, Bubba speaking out on this particular subject is pretty funny. Can’t make this stuff up.

JT

Yep, three of the roughest drivers in NASCAR getting the wrong end of this stunt. That’s sort of ironic.

DoninAjax

Brian’s vision of his “product” which his sycophants are carrying on needs a lot more tweaking! They are getting the wrong kind of game 7 endings too often!

Echo

Need Preece to take bubba out next week. Or it’s bubbas turn for his Toyota to blow up.

Chuck

Or, perhaps, Bubba should take out one of the HMS cars going in to turn 3 at MIS and another coming off of turn 4 heading to the line… the precedent has been set…s

TD Mann

Bubbles can’t wreck anyone intentionally now. Next time will be more than 3 races

Frank A

Amazing that two of the dirtiest drivers cry like 2 year olds when it happens to them. Tough _—. I loved the whoe deal.
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TD Mann

Facts…2 of the biggest whiny azzes out there cry when the rabbit has the gun.

CCColorado

NASCAR doesn’t have the cajones to take the win away!
Especially from old man Childress, you know that good ole boy network.
Denny is 100 % correct, the sport won’t ever be taken seriously if they let this type of crap go. And he is also right, some at Daytona love it, but they aren’t race fans, just money grubbing cronies dragging the sport we love into the mud.
Joey is also correct, Dillon has always sucked, so little to show for all his races run, just a total loser, born into money, (Harvick was right too!) , certainly not worthy of being in The Chase.
And Childress flapping his gums about being careful about retaliation, go pound sand … toothless threats.
So.. NASCAR, the ball is in your court. You’re at a crossroads,
Same old crap, or some actual leadership showing guts.

TD Mann

The old man not scared to throw fists.

old fan

At 78 years old, if he tries to throw fists at someone half his age, he’d probably end up in a coma.

Mike

I’m over watching this farce of a racing series. The overtime finishes are so ridiculously stupid and the blatant takeouts have jumped the shark.

bb

NASCAR so badly wants to be anything other than a serious racing series.

CALVIN MYATT

RIGHT REAR HOOKING SOMEONE WILL GET SOMEONE KILLED, THEN WHATS NASCAR DO. IT AMAZES ME THAT ROSS CHASTAIN DID THE HAIL MARRY. HE NEVER HIT ANOTHER CAR AND NEVER WRECKED ANYBODY. HE JUST USED THE WALL TO HIS BENEFIT. NASCAR OUTLAWED THAT. BUT CANDY ASS CAN WRECK 2 PEOPLE ON PURPOSE. TRYING TO KILL HAMLIN AND THATS OK. I WATCHED THIS ON THE NEWS BY THE WAY BECAUSE I REFUSE TO WATCH NASCAR.

MikeinAZ

That was low and NASCHEVY better do something to nip moves like that in the bud. If they don’t, moves like that one will become much more common to get a win.

JT

It’s coming to the point where NASCAR has to stop this demolition derby driving and take this win away from Dillion. If they let this deliberate rough driving continue, somebody’s going to get hurt badly as a result.

Steve

Great comments by both crew chiefs about the fact that the kids coming up in the sport look at this and think its ok to do. We are seeing it already in the ARCA, Truck and Xfinity series.

Given who the team owner is and the number of the car, Nascar for sure won’t take away that “win”. Worse case scenario they dock pts which mean nothing now that he’s locked in to the playoffs.

Sadly, this is no longer a sport. Its entertainment for the lowest common denominator, apparently.

JIm

i got the fix for all that happened.After last segment starts take last 15 cars off the track since all of this started because two >30 th place drivers cannot drive.