Logano unloads on Dillon after frantic OT finish (2024)

  • Associated Press

Aug 11, 2024, 09:54 PM ET

RICHMOND, Va. -- Desperate to win for the first time in nearly two years -- and with the race suddenly slipping away -- Austin Dillon sent two cars into the wall in rapid succession.

The result was a season-changing victory, an avalanche of controversy and at least two veteran drivers who were absolutely furious.

"I hate to do that, but sometimes you just got to have it," Dillon said.

Dillon raced and bumped his way to victory Sunday night, sending Joey Logano into a spin on the final lap to win in overtime at Richmond. It was his first win since Aug. 28, 2022, at Daytona. He had just two top-10 finishes this year and entered the race ranked 32nd in the standings. Now he's on track for the playoffs -- but he didn't get there gently.

Dillon appeared to be cruising to a victory when Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Ryan Preece collided, forcing the first caution of the entire 400-lap, 300-mile race aside from the prescheduled ones after the ends of the first two stages.

So the drivers went to overtime, and Logano clearly got the better of Dillon on the restart. Then Dillon came up directly behind Logano and spun him.

"It's ridiculous that that's the way we race. Unbelievable," Logano said. "I get bump and runs. I do that. I would expect it. But from four car lengths back, he was never going to make the corner. And then he wrecks the other car. He wrecks the 11 to go with it. What a piece of crap."

The 11 was Denny Hamlin, who appeared to be moving past Dillon on the inside after Dillon bumped Logano's No. 22 car. Then Dillon hit the back right part of Hamlin's car and put him into the wall, too.

"He's going to be credited with the win, but obviously he's just not going to go far," Hamlin said. "You've got to pay your dues back on stuff like that. But it's worth it, because they jump 20 positions in points. So I understand all that. There's no ill will there. I get it. I just hate I was a part of it. It would have been fun if I was not one of the two guys that got taken out on the last corner."

Dillon emerged from all the chaos with a victory in his No. 3 Chevrolet. That number was famously driven -- often aggressively -- by Dale Earnhardt. But times have changed since Earnhardt's heyday, and Elton Sawyer, NASCAR's senior vice president of competition, made it clear the end of this race would be looked at.

"In my view, that's getting really close to crossing the line," Sawyer said.

Actually vacating the victory, however, would be an extraordinary step.

"Historically, that hasn't been our DNA to take races away, but that's not to say that going forward this wouldn't start to set a precedent," Sawyer said. "We'd have to look at it."

Dillon appeared on his way to a much less controversial win after passing Hamlin for the lead with 29 laps to go. But then the Stenhouse-Preece crash and subsequent restart left Dillon in danger of an agonizing defeat.

Dillon said he was trying to move Logano's car, but hitting Hamlin as well was more of an instant reaction.

"It's ridiculous that that's the way we race. Unbelievable. I get bump and runs. I do that. I would expect it. But from four car lengths back, he was never going to make the corner. And then he wrecks the other car. He wrecks the 11 to go with it. What a piece of crap."

Logano unloads on Dillon after frantic OT finish (1)

Joey Logano

"I've seen Denny and Joey make moves that have been running people up the track to win," Dillon said. "This was the first opportunity in two years for me to be able to get a win. ... I've seen a lot of stuff over the years in NASCAR where people move people, and it's just part of our sport."

Owner Richard Childress, Dillon's grandfather, expressed a similar sentiment. Childress was also asked about possible audio of Dillon being told to wreck another driver during the frantic finish.

"I didn't hear him, and I was on the radio with him. We'll see," Childress said. "If he did, he did a damn good job at it. He won the race."

Hamlin finished second, followed by Tyler Reddick, Bubba Wallace and Ross Chastain. Dillon's victory was not good news for Wallace and the other drivers on the playoff bubble.

"Nice to walk out of here with a top-five finish," Wallace said. "We have a long way to go. We just have to keep fighting. I guess you can dump somebody and right rear somebody and be OK. It's funny how that works."

Christopher Bell won the first stage, but he was later penalized for speeding on pit road and finished sixth. Daniel Suárez won the second stage.

Martin Truex Jr. was knocked from the race by engine trouble early in the final stage. He remains the top winless driver in the standings.

Logano unloads on Dillon after frantic OT finish (2024)

FAQs

Did Joey Logano ever drive for Joe Gibbs racing? ›

Driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, Joey Logano won his first NASCAR Cup Series race at New Hampshire when the race finished under caution due to rain.

Who is Austin Dillon's grandfather? ›

He is the grandson of RCR team owner Richard Childress, the older brother of Ty Dillon who competes full-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, and the son of Mike Dillon, a former racing driver who currently works as RCR's general manager. Welcome, North Carolina, U.S. Statistics current as of May 5, 2024.

Where did Joey Logano finish last night? ›

Joey Logano Race Results
2024 Cup Race Results
DATERACEPLACE
8/11NASCAR Cup Series at Richmond19
7/21NASCAR Cup Series at Indianapolis34
7/14NASCAR Cup Series at Pocono5
23 more rows

Did Joey Logano ever drive for Tony Stewart? ›

2008: First starts. On August 25, 2008, Joe Gibbs Racing called a press conference to announce that Logano would drive the No. 20 Home Depot -sponsored Toyota Camry in the 2009 Sprint Cup Series. Logano replaced Tony Stewart who left JGR to form and drive for his own team, Stewart-Haas Racing.

Why did Logano leave Joe Gibbs? ›

There was a plan to develop Logano, but it was scrapped when JGR fast-tracked him to Cup after just 19 Xfinity Series starts because Hall of Famer Tony Stewart left ahead of the 2009 season. Logano wasn't ready for the big leagues, and JGR let him go after four rocky Cup seasons.

What is Joey Logano's salary? ›

Rounding out the top five is Joey Logano. Logano earns $9 million driving for Team Penske. Driving the number 22, Logano has won the cup series in 2018 and 2022. He was named the Sunoco Rookie of the Year award in 2009 for the strong start to his NASCAR career.

Who is the lowest paid NASCAR driver? ›

What is the lowest salary at NASCAR? There is no definitive data or a reliable source about the lowest salary in NASCAR. However, it's assumed that Corey Lajoie has the lowest salary in NASCAR and earns $200k a year. This is excluding bonuses and sponsorships.

Who will Austin Dillon drive for in 2024? ›

Austin Dillon signed long-term extension with Richard Childress Racing in 2024.

Did Austin Dillon's wife have her baby? ›

RCR driver Austin Dillon and Whitney Ward have been married since December 2017, and they have two children, a boy named Ace, born in 2020, and a girl, Blaizey, who was born in 2023.

What does Joey Logano's dad do for a living? ›

Just like that, NASCAR had its very own Little League dad. That's not to say Tom Logano wasn't already categorized that way. He's been hands-on for Joey's entire career, which took off after he sold the family's waste management company in Connecticut and used the funds to help his two children pursue their dreams.

Has Logano ever won a road course? ›

15 car in the Xfinity Series. In his Cup career, Logano has one road course win – Watkins Glen (N.Y.) Int'l in 2015.

How rich is Denny Hamlin? ›

Denny Hamlin's $65 Million Lifestyle: Inside the Fast Lane with NASCAR's Wealthiest Driver.

Who is the youngest NASCAR champion? ›

Thus far, every champion has originated from the United States. Bill Rexford is the youngest Cup Series champion; he was 23 years, 7 months, and 15 days old when he won the title in 1950. Bobby Allison is the oldest Cup Series champion; he was 45 years, 11 months, and 17 days old when he won the championship in 1983.

Who sponsors Joey Logano? ›

Autotrader and Logano have enjoyed a longstanding relationship, as the company has sponsored the Team Penske driver's No. 22 car for the past 10 years.

Does Joey Logano have a family? ›

Life at the Logano home in North Carolina is busy. With three children under 7 – Hudson is 6, Jameson 3 and Emilia almost 2, the Loganos have a schedule any parent with three very young children can understand. Merge that with a demanding racing schedule, and it often seems as if each day doesn't have enough hours.

Who replaced Joey Logano at Joe Gibbs Racing? ›

On September 4, 2012, Joe Gibbs Racing announced it had replaced Joey Logano, the sport's most hyped prospect in a number of years — but one who won only twice in his first 147 NASCAR Cup Series starts — with 2003 champion Matt Kenseth. The idea behind the move was simple: Kenseth was brought in to stabilize a No.

Who all drives for Joe Gibbs Racing? ›

The team fields four full-time entries in the NASCAR Cup Series: the No. 11 Toyota Camry for Denny Hamlin, the No. 19 Camry for Martin Truex Jr., the No. 20 Camry for Christopher Bell, and the No. 54 Camry for Ty Gibbs.

Who drives the 20 car for Joe Gibbs Racing? ›

Christopher Bell (racing driver)
Christopher Bell
NASCAR Xfinity Series career
78 races run over 6 years
Car no., teamNo. 20 (Joe Gibbs Racing)
2022 position88th
56 more rows

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