"There was no other ties to that" - Austin Dillon breaks silence on blocking allegations for Jeff Gordon's team amid NASCAR's penalty
Following the conclusion of the Martinsville Cup Series race, NASCAR issued penalties to Austin Dillon, Ross Chastain, and Bubba Wallace for race manipulation. The penalty involved hefty monetary fines and suspension. Addressing the penalty, Dillon recently opened up to explain his actions during the race.
Martinsville Speedway hosted the final round of eight races last Sunday where Ryan Blaney came out as the winner after he held off Hendrick Motorsports duo Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson. With this, the Team Penske driver secured his Championship 4 berth.
Besides Blaney, Tyler Reddick, Joey Logano, and William Byron made it to the final round of the 2024 Cup Series season. However, complications occurred when NASCAR deemed that Wallace, Dillon and Chastain's last lap movement on Byron was unfair.
"I think I need to clear up," Austin Dillon told Bob Pockrass of Fox Sports. "One thing the deal was, is, was Ross knows what the situation is, that what William's racing for that needs to be cleared up. There was no other ties to that. It was just the situation."
"I'm a country boy. That's the fastest way for me to say situation is ideal so, so you're not so it wasn't a deal like, Hey, we're gonna block for no or William, no. I just knew that he was coming fast, and I didn't want to get in that because I was going to be an a**hole if I passed him or Did part does a show driver needs to go to be able to pass somebody? What's the line?" he added.
NASCAR deemed that three drivers of three different teams tried to influence the outcome of the race. As a result, they handed the drivers and the teams a $100,000 fine, and deducted 50 points from both drivers' and owners' standings.
Besides this, the governing body also suspended crew chiefs, spotters, and key team officials for one race, which is set to be the final race of the 2024 season. However, NASCAR spared the drivers, and they were allowed to race come Sunday.
Statement from Richard Childress Racing, Austin Dillon's Cup Series team
Following the penalty, Richard Childress Racing shared a statement where they termed the penalty as the harshest. This is the second time RCR and Dillon have faced penalties this season, the first being at Richmond.
"Austin Dillon and RCR faced the harshest point penalty impact. With a 50-point deduction, Dillon fell from 28th to 33rd in the standings. Key RCR team members, including executive Keith Rodden, crew chief Justin Alexander, and spotter Brandon Benesch, also received suspensions, impacting RCR’s operations for the season’s close," the statement read.
Phoenix Raceway is all set to host the final race this Sunday, with Tyler Reddick, Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney, and William Byron, all in contention for the ultimate glory.