Richard Childress Laments Lost Playoff Spot, NASCAR's "Biggest Fine Ever

Disgruntled team owner Richard Childress decries NASCAR's ruling that stripped Austin Dillon of his playoff berth, arguing it has irrevocably altered the sport's final-lap dynamics.

Richard Childress, a seasoned NASCAR team owner with over five decades of experience, has expressed profound disappointment over NASCAR's decision to revoke Austin Dillon's playoff spot. The ruling, he asserts, will have far-reaching consequences for the sport.

In a statement made prior to Cup practice at Darlington Raceway, Childress lamented the financial and sporting implications of the decision. "Their ruling has changed NASCAR racing on the final lap forever," he exclaimed. "It's over a million dollars to us. The largest fine ever in NASCAR. I'm just disappointed, disappointed, disappointed. That's all I can say."

Richard Childress Laments Lost Playoff Spot, NASCAR's "Biggest Fine Ever

The incident in question occurred during the August 11th race at Richmond, where Dillon collided with Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin in the closing laps to secure the victory. Under NASCAR's rules, a driver earns an automatic playoff berth with a victory unless there are more than 16 winners during the season. However, NASCAR revoked Dillon's berth, citing a rule that prohibits wins obtained through violations or actions detrimental to the sport.

Richard Childress Racing appealed the decision to a three-member appeals board, which upheld NASCAR's ruling. A subsequent appeal to the final appeal officer also failed. NASCAR's rulebook grants the sanctioning body "sole discretion" to determine what actions are detrimental or violative of regulations. Additionally, NASCAR has a general rule that penalizes drivers for contact with other drivers.

Richard Childress Laments Lost Playoff Spot, NASCAR's "Biggest Fine Ever

In defense of Dillon's actions, Childress argued that neither collision was egregious. "The drivers now, they know where a line is, or they think they do," he said. "They don't. If you go in a car length – two-and-three-quarters was exactly how far back he was [of Logano], and the other car slows down 3 miles an hour on the last lap, you're going to bump in a little to get [him] up the race track. Is that over now?"

Childress also questioned the consistency of the ruling, wondering if contact while racing off a corner could also lead to playoff disqualification.

NASCAR President Steve Phelps defended the decision, stating that it was necessary to prevent a "mess." "We just can't have it," he said. "It really comes down to 'what do you want your sport to be?' And that's why I think we ruled the way we did because we're not demolition derby; we're just not."

Both Logano and Hamlin criticized the move, suggesting that Dillon's actions were intentional. Other drivers also expressed reservations about making similar moves in the future.

Childress expressed frustration with the appeals process, which he views as biased towards NASCAR's appointees. "An appointed appeal group — it's tough to beat an appointment in anything," he said.

Despite his disappointment, Childress indicated that the team would not pursue legal action, as this could further strain their relationship with NASCAR. "If it was a legal case, we had attorneys look at both sides of it, there was no way we would have lost," he said.