Sports
“it’s almost a $2 million swing” Dale Earnhardt Jr. Reacts to NASCAR’s Blow to Austin Dillon and RCR
Austin Dillon was happy as he ended a 68-race winless streak at Richmond Raceway and got a playoff spot for himself. But with that came criticism. Not only did he send Joey Logano into the wall in the final lap, but also spun Denny Hamlin on his way to the checkered flag. His controversial win resulted in a three-day review of the situation and NASCAR has now reached a verdict. Dale Earnhardt Jr. has some thoughts on this!
The sanctioning body has ruled that while Dillon will remain the official winner of the Cook Out 400, his race win won’t count toward eligibility for the Cup Series playoffs. Additionally, Dillon and his No. 3 Richard Childress Racing team will also be docked 25 points in the drivers’ and owners’ standings, while team spotter Brandon Benesch has been suspended for three races.
Speaking on the Dale Jr. Download podcast right after NASCAR’s Austin Dillon verdict, Dale Earnhardt Jr. said, “It’s a tough deal for RCR. I don’t think you can take a lot of happiness in the fact that you get to keep the win. This will be a difficult thing for the team because, as Denny Hamlin noted in his podcast, it’s almost a $2 million swing from where Austin is in the points currently to where he might have eventually finished, had he had the chance to race it out in the playoffs. A lot of money on the line here or a lot of money that the RCR team would have benefited from had they made the playoffs…”
NASCAR’s verdict hasn’t gone down too well with Richard Childress Racing, who will be appealing the decision. In addition to having his playoff spot taken away, the 25-point docking has relegated Dillon from 26th to 31st place in the driver standings.
Not just this. The spotter Brandon Benesch, who was heard saying “Go wreck him” during the final lap, will be replaced as well. While all is not lost yet, as the 34-year-old could still qualify for playoffs if he wins one of the three Cup Series races remaining in the regular season, the situation does look bleak for the No. 3 Chevrolet driver. But how did NASCAR decide to take away Dillon’s playoff spot? Well, because of the following rule.
Section 12.3.2.1.b: “Race finishes must be unencumbered by violation(s) of the NASCAR Rules or other action(s) detrimental to stock car auto racing or NASCAR as determined in the sole discretion of NASCAR.”
Dillon’s win was quite controversial. With a comfortable 3-second lead and just two laps to go, Austin Dillon was in unfamiliar territory at Richmond Raceway. However, circumstances changed when Ricky Stenhouse Jr. collided with Ryan Preece, bringing about a caution. As a result, Dillon didn’t have the best restart, which allowed Joey Logano to take the lead heading into Turns 3 and 4.
However, the Richard Childress Racing driver refused to give up without a fight, and in an attempt to regain track position, he rear-ended Logano’s No. 22 Ford, sending him into the wall. During the altercation, Denny Hamlin almost stole the lead, but it wasn’t long before Dillon sent him spinning while making his way to the checkered flag. Even Elton Sawyer spoke about what took place.
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A former Ferrari engineer has criticised the decision to bring in Lewis Hamilton and thinks the Brit’s presence will mean “a lot of potential for drama”.
At the age of 40, seven-time Formula 1 champion Hamilton will form a formidable driver partnership with Charles Leclerc. His big switch comes at the expense of Carlos Sainz, who has performed well for the Italian squad but who was axed so they had room for their blockbuster new signing.
But not everyone of a Ferrari persuasion is convinced that it will go well. Ernest Knoors, who spent many years as an engineer at Maranello, specialising in power units, worries that Hamilton’s presence could do more harm than good for a team that is finding its groove under Frederic Vasseur.
“A big name like Hamilton also brings a lot of politics and if politics within Ferrari are not managed well, then there is a lot of potential for drama,” he told Formule1.nl. “Hamilton has the tendency that if things do not work out, he turns his whole car upside down and starts experimenting.
“Ferrari believes very much in the big personalities and will follow him. But Hamilton is just someone you have to guide a little bit and not give the freedom to rebuild the whole car, because then it will go completely wrong. So I do not know if it is such a smart move, but of course it is nice for the sport.”
News of Hamilton’s planned move broke on February 1, coinciding with football’s Transfer Deadline Day. That the back pages of many newspapers were dominated by the decision of Hamilton to swap Mercedes for Ferrari was testament to the magnitude of the announcement.
Sainz was not surprised as he had been informed by his team of the plan ahead of it being made public. But the Spaniard responded well with two victories to date this season and five further appearances on the podium, on the way to what looks likely to be a fifth-placed finish in the championship – two spots and 54 points ahead of Hamilton.
Sainz has signed for Williams next year and, after several years of running at the front of the grid, will focus on his new challenge of helping restore one of the grid’s most historic teams to its former glory. But Knoors believes he should have been kept on by Ferrari instead.
The Dutchman added: “I see Lewis Hamilton’s arrival at Ferrari more as a PR move. With all due respect, Hamilton is not going to take that Ferrari from P6 to P1. He will get the most out of it, but what Ferrari has to do is make that car faster. And if you make that car faster, you can easily drive at the front with the current line-up.
“Besides, as a team you have to look further on the horizon. If Hamilton becomes champion in the coming years, he and Ferrari will become immortal. But if you want to build a team with talent for the next five years, are you going to build on Hamilton? No, because he will really be finished after two or three years. That is why I would have kept the very strong line-up that Ferrari has now.”
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Chase Elliott had a front-row seat for one of NASCAR’s most bizarre moments of the 2024 Cup Series season. At the start of Stage 2, the pace car dove onto pit road in front of Elliott; however, it was a tad too late. The pace car made contact with the sand barrels at the entry of pit road and caused a red flag for cleanup.
Initially, there was some speculation on the NBC Sports broadcast, even from the No. 9 team, that Elliott made contact with the pace car. Fortunately, the pace car didn’t slide across the No. 9 car’s nose, but it undoubtedly provided one of NASCAR’s craziest red flag moments in recent memory.
Below, you can listen to Elliott and the No. 9 team react to the pace car crashing into the sand barrels on pit road at Phoenix during Championship Weekend!
Reflecting on the recent retirement of 2017 NASCAR Cup Series champion Martin Truex Jr., Earnhardt didn’t mince words about the toll NASCAR takes on its drivers. Speaking candidly, the two-time Daytona 500 winner admitted that the pressure to perform every week left him feeling miserable for most of his racing career—a sentiment he believes is shared by many of his peers.
“Right or wrong, racing made me a miserable person 90% of the time,” Earnhardt confessed. “And him too. I mean, ask Kyle Busch, ask anybody—unless you’re winning, you’re not happy.”
For these elite drivers, the sport is a relentless grind. A podium finish might bring temporary relief, but anything short of victory is often a source of frustration. The immense effort poured into preparation and execution rarely feels like it pays off unless the checkered flag is theirs.
Earnhardt highlighted the mental toll of falling short, explaining how the relentless focus on winning can overshadow the joy of simply competing. Even a solid performance feels hollow compared to the euphoria of a win.
“Unless you’re winning, you’re not happy at all,” he said. “You’re okay with a good run, but for the most part, all the effort it takes just to run good—it doesn’t weigh out.”
For drivers, the stakes are sky-high every week. Sponsors, fans, and teams demand nothing less than excellence, leaving little room for error or personal satisfaction in anything less than a dominant performance.
Earnhardt also shared insights into his friendship with Martin Truex Jr., who recently announced his retirement. While the two often spend time hunting together during NASCAR’s off-season, Earnhardt noted that the stress of racing even creeps into their leisure activities.
“When I’m with him during hunting season, it’s always in the back of his mind,” Earnhardt said. “It’s that stressful part of the year when he’s as miserable as he’s going to be.”
Now, with Truex stepping away from the track, Earnhardt looks forward to seeing a lighter, happier version of his long-time friend. Without the weight of weekly competition hanging over him, Truex might finally be able to relax and enjoy the outdoor lifestyle he cherishes.
“It’ll be fun to see him loosen up,” Earnhardt added.
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