'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
NASCAR president Steve Phelps has defended the penalty given to Austin Dillon, citing safety concerns as the main reason. Phelps discussed the penalty and its impact in an interview with Kevin Harvick.
At the Richmond Raceway on August 11, Dillon won the race after spinning Joey Logano and then hooking Denny Hamlin on the final lap. The No. 3 driver for Richard Childress Racing (RCR) was determined to qualify for the Playoffs and thought a win would automatically help him secure his post-season berth.
However, NASCAR later penalized his actions and Austin Dillon lost his spot in the Playoffs. He was also hit with a 25-point deduction in the standings and his spotter, Brandon Benesch, was suspended for three races.
Steve Phelps talked about NASCAR's decision to penalize Dillon and RCR on Kevin Harvick's Happy Hour Podcast. He stated that the data shows the severity of the incidents.
"I think, as we were looking at, again, the data and what happened — it happened so quickly — but you had two incidents in a split-second right. Turn 3 had an incident. Turn 4, you had an incident, and then the race was concluded... Because you had a second move, and the second move was a hook, in our opinion, right? Which was both the eye test as well as the data would suggest that's what happened. It's hard to hide from the data, right? And then he put a competitor also at risk, right? Denny took a hard hit, one of the hardest hits I think he's had in this Next Gen car. And there was a line that was crossed, in our opinion."
Phelps also explained the line Dillon crossed and why his actions at Richmond Raceway led to a penalty. He stressed that driver safety is crucial as the sport changes.
"I've heard from drivers over the years, 'I don't know where the line is. Tell me where the line is. Can you show me the line?' I can't show you the line, but you will know when it has been crossed, right? So if you hook someone going 170 miles per hour on a mile-and-a-half track, you have crossed the line, and we're going to park you. And so we've been consistent...We need to make sure that we are keeping our drivers safe," he added.
Austin Dillon's first appeal against NASCAR ruling denied
A three-person National Motorsport Appeals Panel rejected Austin Dillon's appeal on Wednesday.
The appeals panel upheld the penalty and said in a statement that the conduct was unacceptable for NASCAR's "elite" standards. The panel included Tom DeLoach, Tommy Wheeler, and Kelly Housby.
"NASCAR represents elite motorsports and, as such, its drivers are expected to demonstrate exemplary conduct if its series' championships are to be validated. In this case, the ‘line' was crossed."
Austin Dillon and his team, RCR, are planning to appeal the penalty again after their first attempt. The penalty will stand unless the appeal is successful.
Dillon is currently 29th in the standings and can make the playoffs with a win at one of the two races in Daytona and Darlington.
