Austin Dillon Claims Richmond Victory with Last-Lap Bonzai Move

The tagline for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series event at Richmond? Win at all costs.

With two laps remaining in the Cook Out 400, Austin Dillon was well on his way to putting the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet in Victory Lane on merit, until Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. and Ryan Preece tangled in front of him, sending the race into NASCAR Overtime.

That’s the exact moment when everything stopped making sense.

Austin Dillon, after choosing the inside line for the restart, was unable to get the launch necessary to pull away from the pack behind him, which allowed Joey Logano to drive around the outside and put his Team Penske Ford Mustang out front.

With the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs on the line, Dillon made a frankly unrealistic lunge into the final set of corners, slamming into the rear-end of Logano and sending him spinning around in the middle of the corner.

That’s not where the drama ended, though. As Dillon washed up the racetrack, defending Richmond winner Denny Hamlin snuck to the inside of the No. 3 Chevrolet, where he was savagely right-reared into the frontstretch wall, allowing the Welcome, North Carolina native to limp to victory.

“I don’t know, man. It’s been two years. This is the first car I’ve had with a shot to win,” said Dillon. “I felt like with two to go, we were the fastest car. Obviously had to have a straightaway. Wrecked the guy. I hate to do that, but sometimes you just got to have it.”

The race officially ended under the caution flag, and Denny Hamlin was credited with a runner-up finish, but his No. 11 FedEx Cares Toyota Camry XSE was destroyed.

As the field scattered to find clear racetrack behind, 23XI Racing teammates Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace came home third and fourth, with Ross Chastain rounding out the top five. Both Wallace and Chastain sit near the bubble to make the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs with only three regular-season races remaining.

After a speeding penalty on the final cycle of pit stops, Christopher Bell rebounded to finish sixth. Bell led 122 of 400 laps on Sunday, behind only Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin.

Fresh off his victory in the Knoxville Nationals, Kyle Larson had a quiet afternoon at Richmond, which resulted in a seventh-place finish. In eighth, Carson Hocevar matched a career-best for Spire Motorsports. Chase Elliott and Daniel Suarez rounded out the top-10.

Mere days after announcing a contract extension, Daniel Suarez and Trackhouse Racing showed up with speed at Richmond Raceway and had a strong strategy to go along with it. The No. 99 team was the first to put on the option tires, and as a result soared to the front of the pack, leading 93 laps.

Putting on his second set of option tires inside 50 to go, Suarez was flying through the pack, and had reached about sixth place when the caution was displayed, ruining any shot the Monterrey, Mexico native had at returning to Victory Lane this season.

From 32nd in NASCAR Cup Series points, Austin Dillon is now in the Playoffs. But, leaving Richmond, the top-three in regular-season points are now within six markers, with Kyle Larson leading Tyler Reddick (-5) and Chase Elliott (-6).

Next for the NASCAR Cup Series is Michigan International Speedway, where the field will make its annual trip to the two-mile oval in its final run toward the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs.

Photo: Craig White, TobyChristie.com