"Sh*t show"; "Mud is more clear than what he said" - Fans react to NASCAR president Steve Phelps’ explanation on Austin Dillon penalty

NASCAR CEO Steve Phelps has faced backlash from fans after his statement regarding the penalty imposed on Austin Dillon after the Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway. Dillon’s playoff berth was revoked after audio revealed his spotter instructing him to “wreck” the drivers in front of him.

Richard Childress Racing appealed for the decision to be reversed, but their appeal was denied earlier this week. The penalty has been upheld, and while the #3 Chevrolet driver is allowed to keep the race win, he no longer has a place in the playoffs.

Steve Phelps, the CEO of NASCAR, recently discussed the penalty on Kevin Harvick's Happy Hour podcast.

"If you hook someone to go 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," he said (at 0:15). "We've had two of those. Do we want to do that? I don't. But we need to make sure that we are keeping our drivers safe. And when you have a situation like that, it's not safe. I would, I think, as we were looking at, again, the data and what happened, it happened so quickly."

However, his explanation did not resonate well with fans on social media, who criticized him.

We are not a demolition derby. We are a sh*t show", a fan wrote.

"Mud is more clear than what he said," another user wrote.

"If only they stayed consistent," another user said.

"I beg to differ, Daytona, Talladega, and Atlanta are destruction derbys," a fan claimed.

However, some users did agree with Phelps regarding the penalty system in relation to Dillon's incident.

"Phelps is absolutely right on this one, but it's important to be consistent in ruling this way if he truly feels credibility is at stake."

"My thoughts exactly," another user wrote.

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RCR "disappointed" with result of Austin Dillon appeal

The result of Austin Dillon's appeal was unfavorable, as the panel decided to uphold the penalty and disqualify him from the playoffs despite his victory at Richmond.

Richard Childress Racing released a statement following the decision, expressing disappointment and announcing their intention to appeal the penalty again.

"Richard Childress Racing is disappointed in the results of today’s hearing in front of the National Motorsports Appeals Panel. We respect the NASCAR appeals process, but we do not believe that today’s outcome reflects the facts presented. We plan to appeal the decision to the Final Appeal Officer."

Dillon's season has been a struggle, with most races finding him outside the top 20. His best finish, aside from the win, was a sixth-place finish at Illinois. Aside from the race win, there seemed to be no other path for Austin Dillon to qualify for the playoffs. He currently sits in 29th place in the playoff standings.