While Richard Childress Racing will appeal the loss of Playoff eligibility attached to Austin Dillon’s Cook Out 400 race win at Richmond Raceway last Sunday, the team will not ask for a deferral of the three-race suspension of spotter Brandon Benesch heading into the appeal. As a result, Benesch will not serve as Dillon’s spotter this weekend at Michigan International Speedway.
In Benesch’s place will be Brett Griffin, a veteran spotter, who also serves as a co-host of Dirty Mo Media’s Door Bumper Clear Podcast.
Benesch was handed a three-race suspension for his involvement in the finish of Sunday’s race at Richmond. After Dillon spun Joey Logano from the lead in Turn 3, Benesch cued the radio and began shouting, “Down low, wreck him,” just before Dillon turned low and crashed Denny Hamlin to secure his fifth career NASCAR Cup Series win.
While Griffin, 49, has reduced his schedule as a spotter in recent years, he has appeared as a spotter in five NASCAR Cup Series events this year for the part-time No. 33 Richard Childress Racing team.
The best finish for a car that Griffin has spotted so far this season was a 19th-place effort for Ty Dillon in the No. 33 RCR Chevrolet in the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway a few weeks ago.
In addition to his spotting duties with Austin Dillon this weekend in the FireKeepers Casino 400, Griffin will also serve as the spotter for Jesse Love and the No. 2 Richard Childress Racing team in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Cabo Wabo 250 at Michigan, according to the NASCAR Team Roster Portal.
